The U.S. Department of Education today recognized 10 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholars who have been serving at the department's headquarters in Washington this summer as part of a program to honor the legacy of the renowned civil rights leader.

Now in its second year, the program was unveiled last year by President Bush to help pay tribute to the enduring memory of Dr. King's quest to promote equality for all.

"We have been fortunate to have a number of outstanding young people working with us this summer who have had the opportunity to get a first-hand look at the kind of work that would have made Dr. King proud -- that is, to assure that we leave absolutely no child behind," said U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige.

At the Education Department, the centerpiece of its work is implementing the landmark No Child Left Behind Act, approved by Congress with bipartisan support to promote educational excellence for all students through accountability and high standards.

The department thanked for their services this year's Martin Luther King Jr. Scholars who included:

• Tiece M. Ruffin, of Washington, D.C., a second-year doctoral student with a focus of special education at Ohio University.
• Nicolas Craig Rodriguez, of Oak Park, Calif., a junior majoring in public policy at Stanford University.
• Desira Holman, of Trenton, N.J., a master's student at the University of Maryland.
• Perzavia Praylow, of Jersey City, N.J., a first-year doctoral student at Michigan State University, specializing in comparative black history.
• Amy Beth Meldrum, of Sterling Heights, Mich., a senior at Michigan State University.
• Jacob Easley II, of State College, Pa., a doctoral student in curriculum and supervision at Penn State.
• Bobbie Jean Lynch, of Mount Airy, N.C., a junior at Winston-Salem State University.
• Stephanie Cheng, of Los Altos Hills, Calif., a master's student at the UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research
• Amanda Michelle Mayer, of Lubbock, Texas, a second-year master's student at Texas Tech University.
• Zach Dobelbower, of Yukon, Okla., a master's student in public administration and nonprofit management at American University.

The program is open to outstanding undergraduate or graduate students with an interest in education policy or administration. The scholars were assigned to the Office of the Secretary and the immediate offices of the assistance secretaries of education at the department's D.C. headquarters.

Among the requirements for consideration was writing an essay on the link between the philosophies of Dr. King and education policy. And, a cover letter on why the student wanted to be a Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar, demonstrating how their accomplishments embrace his philosophies.

Applications from eligible students were referred to a panel that developed a list of the top 25-30 candidates. Evaluations were based on academic achievement, quality of thought exemplified in the letter and essay, and the strength of the candidate's interest in education policy or public policy and administration. A second tier panel made final selections from the top group of candidates.

Those interested in applying for the internships next year should check the Education Department's Web site in early 2004 at www.ed.gov.

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