Letter from A. Scott Henderson (FL '82) to The Washington Post:

I praise Elliot Gerson for his Nov. 21 op-ed, "From Oxford to Wall Street," noting the increasing number of Rhodes scholars who choose lucrative financial-sector jobs instead of lower-paying ones in other fields.

I share Mr. Gerson's concerns. As a member of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Finalist Selection Committee for 18 years, I have seen how the creeping (now skyrocketing) ascent of Wall Street salaries has siren-songed some of the brightest students away from public service. There have been notable exceptions -- Susan Rice and Janet Napolitano are both Truman scholars -- but the trend continues unabated among the country's most promising college graduates, scholarship winners or not.

Although President Ronald Reagan's demonization of government undermined the appeal of public service, nothing can compare to the riptide created by pay packages reaching far into the millions. We can only hope that Mr. Gerson's reasoned voice of caution can be heard above the unreasoned hogwash that passes for economic wisdom.

A. Scott Henderson, Greenville, S.C.

The writer is director of national and international scholarships at Furman University.

One of the many ways that Truman Scholars choose to engage in public service is through elective office. This November, the Truman Scholars Association organized a workshop specifically focused on helping Scholars who wish to pursue this path.

On Saturday, November 14, Scholars from around the country convened at the Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, DC, to attend In the Running, a workshop for Scholars who are planning or considering a run for elective office.

Panelists represented both sides of the aisle and brought expertise from areas such as polling, messaging, fundraising, and even the personal and professional lives of office holders themselves. The day-long program was designed to equip Scholars with the tools and relationships needed to mount an effective campaign, soon or in the years to come.

Panelists included many Scholars, such as Bob Holste (PA '83), Deputy Director, Government Relations for the Pew Charitable Trusts (the event's host), Jim St. George (MN '79), Managing Partner of the Voter Activation Network (VAN), and Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza (NC '09) of Progressive Media. Three current elected officeholders also shared their experiences with campaigning and serving: Georgia General Assemblywoman Stacey Abrams (MS '94), New Castle County (Delaware) Executive Chris Coons (DE '83), and Missouri State Representative Jake Zimmerman (MO '95).

More information about In the Running, including the full agenda and panelist biographies, is available online: http://www.trumanscholars.org/events/in-the-running

2005 Truman Scholar Saul Garlick, Founder of Think Impact, discusses how Generation Y approaches international development on the Skoll Foundation's Social Edge blog:

http://www.socialedge.org/discussions/business-building/generation-y2019s-global-development-strategy?utm_source=Social+Edge+Newsletter&utm_campaign=2cef19635f-Newsletter_Gen_Y_11_17_2009&utm_medium=email