Recently, 22 students from Abilene Christian University paired up with fourth grade students from Fannin Elementary School for a day trip to Austin. The ACU students, all of whom are Jack Pope Fellows and members of Pi Sigma Alpha, were each paired with three Fannin students.
"The ACU students give of themselves to others in a tangible way by becoming a role model and a new best friend to the children of Fannin Elementary," said Dr. Mel Hailey, director of the Jack Pope Fellows. "The Pope Fellows are not expected to get anything for themselves, but they do. By the end of the day, the university students have learned much from the fourth-graders, just as the fourth-graders have been given a vision of what they can become."
The students toured the state capitol with State Rep. Susan King, who talked to them on the floor of the House of Representatives about her role as a state representative. The group also attended a luncheon hosted by King in the capitol.
The group ended the day by touring the Darrell Royal Stadium, home of the Texas Longhorns football team and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.
The Jack Pope Fellows Program is a public service leadership program named in honor of Judge Jack Pope, retired Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. The Pope Fellows are sophomores from any major with a GPA of at least 3.25 who win scholarships to pursue careers in public service. Pi Sigma Alpha is the Political Science National Honor Society.
The trip was made possible by grants from the ACU Students Association and Pi Sigma Alpha.
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