Senate Resolution 21

A RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE RECOGNITION AND CONGRATULATIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI SENATE TO ARIELLE HUDSON OF TUNICA, MISSISSIPPI, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI TO RECEIVE THE PRESTIGIOUS RHODES SCHOLARSHIP.

WHEREAS, Arielle Hudson, a native of Tunica, Mississippi, was awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship on November 23, 2019, after interviews with officials from the Rhodes Trust in Birmingham, Alabama; and

WHEREAS, Arielle is a senior English education major at the University of Mississippi and has become the university's 27th Rhodes Scholar and its first African American female to be chosen; and

WHEREAS, the Rhodes Scholarships were established in 1902 and bring 32 high-achieving students from the United States to the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom each year, providing them with tuition, travel, room and board, and a living stipend for two years, with a possible third year; and

WHEREAS, the selection committee seeks not only academic distinction in the scholarship candidates, but also the potential for effective service to the world; and

WHEREAS, Arielle graduated from the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus in 2016 and then enrolled at the University of Mississippi as the recipient of a full scholarship from the university's chapter of the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program (METP); and

WHEREAS, Arielle's choice to attend the University of Mississippi followed in the footsteps of her mother, Tammie Turner, who earned two degrees in education from the university; and

WHEREAS, during college, she served as an Associated Student Body Senator and a leader of the Black Student Union, as well as volunteered in schools with the Marks Project, a collaborative effort to improve educational opportunities in Quitman County. Her experience with the Marks Project motivated her to establish the program "Literacy L.I.G.H.T.S.," standing for "Literacy Lets Individuals Gain Height To Success," which has helped provide more than 400 books or reading materials to classrooms and homes in Tunica, Oxford and elsewhere; and

WHEREAS, Arielle has also participated in seven beauty pageants at the state and national level, including the Miss Black International Pageant, which emphasizes community service and where she was the second runner-up; and

WHEREAS, next semester, Arielle will student-teach ninth-grade English in the Oxford School District while completing the requirements for her bachelor's degree; and

WHEREAS, as a Rhodes Scholarship recipient, she plans to pursue dual master's degrees in comparative social policy and comparative international education before returning home to the Mississippi Delta to fulfill her five-year teaching requirement as a Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program scholarship recipient; and

WHEREAS, Arielle looks forward to studying in the international environment at the University of Oxford and learning how to address social problems with professors and students from diverse backgrounds so that she can use that knowledge to benefit Mississippi, where she plans to teach English upon her return. Arielle also has the long-term aspiration of pursuing a law degree and working as an education policymaker; and

WHEREAS, Arielle's selection as a Rhodes Scholar has been praised by University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce as "an elite accomplishment and an outstanding reflection of her intellectual, personal and leadership skills"; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize and commend University of Mississippi Rhodes Scholar Arielle Hudson in receiving this prestigious award and bringing honor to her community and the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby extend the recognition and congratulations to Arielle Hudson of Tunica, Mississippi, the first African American female at the University of Mississippi to receive the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Arielle and her family, forwarded to the Chancellor of the University of Mississippi, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.