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Senior Wins Scholarship for Commitment to
Social Change
When MTV posted an application for the Fight For Your Rights Leadership
Scholarship, it was downloaded by 30,000 students. Only five, though,
were chosen, and one of them was Rice senior Audrey Etté.
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“I feel very blessed and fortunate to have been selected for
such an honor,” said Etté, who is from Dayton, Texas.
The political science/managerial studies major has her sights set
on a law degree as an “avenue into politics to work in areas
concerning minority affairs or education,” and the $50,000
scholarship will help her achieve those goals.
The Fight For Your Rights (FFYR) Leadership Scholarship program
is sponsored by MTV and the national nonprofit organization SHiNE
(Seeking Harmony in Neighborhoods Everyday). SHiNE is the designated
youth component of the White House’s national Campaign Against
Youth Violence. The scholarship program also is supported by the
National Conference for Community and Justice in partnership with
the Anti-Defamation League and the Leadership Conference on Civil
Rights. The scholarship is given to student leaders between the
ages of 16 and 24 who are committed to social change, have a demonstrated
record of involvement in civil rights work, and plan to pursue careers
that support the advancement of civil rights.
Etté graduated from Dayton High School as the salutatorian
of her class. Her mother, Rita Gilmore, is a high school economics
teacher and debate coach, and her father, Renwick Gilmore, is a
pastor. She currently is president of the Black Student Association
and a member of the Minority Interests Committee, ADVANCE (Advocating
Diversity and the Need for Cultural Exchange), the National Society
of Black Engineers, and the newly formed chapter of the Rice NAACP.
In addition, she serves on the President’s Council for Minority
Affairs.
Etté has served as an Orientation Week adviser at Baker College
and a diversity facilitator. As a member of the Black Student Coalition,
she was involved in bringing the esteemed scholar Cornel West to
Rice and coordinating the second Racial Solidarity Week. She also
is a member of Rice’s Melodious Voices of Praise gospel choir
and IMPACT Bible Study. Last year, she was selected for Who’s
Who Among American Colleges and Universities.
At Rice, Etté is employed in the office of the vice president
for public affairs. “It is exciting, but not surprising, that
Audrey would win a national leadership award,” says Vice President
for Public Affairs Terry Shepard. “Across campus, she has been
a poised, strong, and quietly determined leader in support of harmony,
justice, and public service. In my office, where she has worked
since her sophomore year, she has displayed maturity, intelligence,
and judgment, becoming a full-fledged member of the team. Remember
her name—Audrey Etté—for she is a remarkable young
woman and will bring honor to Rice’s name for many decades
to come.”
For more information on the FFYR Leadership Scholarship and profiles
of the scholarship winners, go to http://www.mtv.com/onair/ffyr/challenge_grant.jhtml.
—Margot Dimond
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