Arkansas State University graduate student Jennifer Stout Cole of England was recently awarded a 2002 Presidential Management Internship (PMI).

Cole is the third student at ASU to receive the honor, according to Dr. Jane Gates, chair of the Department of Political Science.

Cole will graduate in August with her master of public administration (MPA) degree from the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The PMI program was established by an executive order in 1977 to attract outstanding individuals to federal service. Interns are drawn from a wide variety of academic disciplines and must demonstrate an interest in, and commitment to, a career in public service.

Eligibility standards require that the student receive a master’s or doctoral degree in their chosen field during the application year. Candidates are nominated by their university degree program, and then undergo a rigorous interview process before being selected as PMI finalists.

"A great number of federal employees are nearing retirement age, therefore this is a great time to begin a career with the federal government," Cole said. "I’m excited to continue the tradition set by other successful MPA students at ASU. I appreciate the support the department faculty have given me."

Cole, a graduate of England High School, received her bachelor’s degree in criminology from ASU in 2000. She is married to Nicholas Cole, and her mother is Donna Ashcraft of White Hall.

More than 2,200 students were nominated this year, and Cole was among the 602 students selected for the program. Cole could begin her two-year internship with an agency in the executive branch of the federal government as early as this summer.

Upon completion of the internship she will be eligible for a career as a federal government employee.

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