Spencer Whyte
University of Mount UnionSpencer Whyte, a junior at the University of Mount Union has proven his dedication to civic engagement and his community through countless events, leadership roles, and interactions with his peers. His involvement on campus spans many interest areas and includes leadership roles in the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, Pi Sigma Alpha political science, and Student senate. In addition to being an outstanding student leader, Mr. Whyte has been named to the Dean's List for five consecutive semesters, is a member of the honors program and spends time helping first year students transition to college. He has moderated city council panel discussions, volunteered at camps serving children with serious illnesses and was named political science student of the year in 2016. The passion he has for civic engagement, leadership and scholarship shows in all he does. Mr. Whyte plans to pursue a career in higher education as a professor of political science or history and is certain to use such a position as a platform for encouraging civic discourse and serving his community.
Personal Statement
Serving the community has always been important to me. From a young age, I helped my mother with hunger meals for the homeless at our church. It was there that I learned the immense impact of giving of myself for others. I'll never forget the feeling inside me, when a homeless woman of seven years cried to me because she was so moved by my giving of my time. As I grew older, I became more interested in politics. For a high school government class, I attended local city council meetings and helped give opinion on local policy there. At the University of Mount Union, my involvement with the community has grown even more. I helped with an organization on campus that spread awareness and materials for voting registration. I was also in charge of raising money for SeriousFun Children's Network - a network of camps for children with serious illnesses. I have been fortunate enough to have been able to volunteer at one of these amazing camps on more than one occasion.