OXFORD, Miss. – Dennis Pickens Jr. may not have always
embraced politics, but after taking an honors political
science class at the University of Mississippi, he became a
fan. And now, his enthusiasm has garnered him an internship
at the Institute for Responsible Citizenship.
Pickens, a sophomore accountancy major in the Sally
McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, plans to spend this
summer in Washington, D.C., where he will hold an
internship and take rigorous courses at Georgetown
University. The program focuses on public service, and 24
of the most promising black male college sophomores in the
country are selected to participate each year.
This is the first time an Ole Miss student has been chosen
for the program.
Pickens, a Newton High School graduate and the son of
Dennis Pickens Sr. and Ethel Pickens., said he previously
had a pessimistic outlook on politics until Kenneth
Townsend’s class sparked his interest.
“I wasn’t into politics until I took his class and it made
me view Washington in a new light,” Pickens said. “He
showed me that politics can be a medium for change.”
The news that he had been chosen for the internship came at
a bittersweet time for Pickens, as he found out the day
after his grandfather died. “I was thrilled to receive the
news,” he said. “William Keyes, the president of the
organization, called me and told me I was one of the seven
chosen by early decision.”
Townsend, a Barksdale Fellow and instructor in public
policy leadership in the Honors College, said Pickens has
been an absolute delight to teach and is an extremely hard
worker.
“Not only has Dennis maintained a 4.0 while taking
difficult honors courses, but for the last two summers, he
has also participated in prestigious programs with Merrill
Lynch and the London School of Economics,” Townsend said.
“Being chosen for the Institute for Responsible Citizenship
represents another well-earned milestone for Dennis. I
believe it is important for our campus community to
understand how big of a deal this program is.”
While at Georgetown, Pickens will take courses in
government and economics designed to provide skills
necessary to critically analyze the world’s problems while
adhering to a deep respect for civil liberties. When not in
class or at work, the students are called upon to attend
functions designed to help them network within their
field.
The institute creates a pathway for the top black males in
the country both in and out of the classroom, Pickens said.
He is most excited about being able to meet two legends:
Georgia congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis
and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
“I also hope to meet Barack Obama, but we’ll have to see
what his schedule is like,” he said. “The opportunity to
meet people like that is invaluable.”
He said he hopes to strengthen his personal characteristics
and get to know people who can help him achieve his goals.
“I think the program will make me well-rounded socially,
academically and as a leader,” he said. “I’ll be meeting
leaders from the civil rights movement, from politics and
from corporate America and I think they will increase my
breadth of knowledge of America as a whole.”
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