Urban Scholars internship inspires career goal as civil rights attorney

Manire Vaughn, center, with Minnesota State Senator Bobby Joe Champion and Tina Smith, Governor Mark Dayton's chief of staff.

As an African-American student, Manire Vaughn ’15 has worked hard to make other students of color feel more comfortable in their academic surroundings, and as a volunteer through Campus Ministry, he worked to serve underprivileged communities. His experiences—coupled with an internship with the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department—have strengthened his desire to eventually become a civil rights attorney.

The Human Services and Criminal Justice major from Chicago worked this summer as a community outreach engagement intern through the Minneapolis Urban Scholars Program, which provides students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds with a distinctive professional experience, focused on gaining essential leadership skills and creating career pathways to positions of influence.