Corie Wilkins is a recent graduate of the University of Missouri, where he received a Bachelors of Journalism in broadcast with an emphasis in production. However, there’s much more to his story, and that doesn’t define who he is. 

His journey through college was a challenging one and it produced a lot of growth. The rough situations he was put in pushed him to places he never thought he’d see. During those four years, he’s been on top of the world, and at other times, he’s felt like the world was on top of him. Through it all, his journey has taken him to great places, given him great experiences, and has put him in rooms with people he never thought would know his name. Eventually, he found his passion for ministry, particularly in the realm of social justice. He will begin pursuing a Master’s of Divinity at Duke Divinity this fall. 

He has served as the only undergraduate member of the Faculty Council Committee on Race Relations on campus, as a writing tutor, a personal trainer, a television news reporter, news producer, and a bouncer in his professional career thus far. He’s worn a lot of different faces and not one experience was wasted. 

Corie Wilkins will be giving an incredible lunch keynote speech during the Pullman Scholar Symposium – the first time for a scholar to be giving a keynote to other scholars. Look forward to learning more about his journey through college and post-grad life. 

We are pleased to announce Patrick T. Murphy, MS as our keynote speaker for the Third Annual Pullman Scholar Symposium.

Patrick graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. In 2015, he earned a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management with a Concentration in Fundraising Management from the Spertus Institute of Jewish Learning and Leadership.

Most recently, he earned a Certificate in Marketing Strategy from Cornell University and is pursuing a doctorate and the CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) credential. He is a proud Pullman Foundation Alumnus and has volunteered on the foundation’s associate board and scholar selection committee.

Patrick currently serves as the Associate Director for Communications at the Midwest Augustinians. He also serves as the volunteer Board Treasurer of 16th Street Theater in Berwyn, Illinois. Patrick enjoys traveling and composing music; he is currently writing his sophomore album, Give It Socks.

Patrick will be speaking about his fluid, ongoing journey since graduating on Friday, May 20, 2016. Make sure to RSVP today to secure your seat. There will also be a reception following his speech to interact with him and current Pullman Scholars.