Jerome Hamilton Jr. is named MSU Political Science Outstanding Senior for 2025

April 2, 2025 - Karessa Weir

When Jerome Hamilton Jr. arrived in East Lansing as a freshman from Baltimore, he knew he wanted to major in Political Science – Prelaw. Beyond that, he was unsure what he was going to do with his time at MSU.  
But by the time he completed his first year, he had one overreaching goal – be as positive and supportive to young students as older PLS students had been to him during his first year.  

“It meant so much to me when I was first here that I was able to witness the passion of other political science students,” he said. “It pushed me to be better and by sophomore year, I knew I wanted to give back, to give this positive experience I had to younger students.” 

He discovered one way to do that was through being an Undergraduate Learning Assistant with Dr. Sarah Reckhow and Dr. Marty Jordan. Both these experiences gave him a chance to work directly with students on courses he had already taken and be prepared to help them in many ways. These experiences also became one of the many favorite memories Jerome will take with him as he graduates this May with a degree in Political Science – Prelaw with a minor in Environmental Social Science. 

“Being there, sharing my experiences and interacting with students – it was one of my great joys,” Jerome said. “I am proud I was able to provide the same positive culture that I found here.”  

His work as a ULA is just one of the many reasons the Department chose Jerome as their Outstanding Senior.  

“We celebrate Jerome as our Outstanding Senior because he truly is outstanding. Throughout his time at MSU, he has embraced every opportunity to expand his knowledge, develop new skills, and broaden his horizons. In the classroom, he engaged deeply, asking insightful questions and driving discussions forward. He took initiative in research, exploring strategies to encourage the public to recycle pizza boxes. His commitment to global learning led him to travel the world for service projects, and he secured prestigious internships at both the federal and state levels to gain hands-on experience and contribute his perspective. Jerome embodies the intellectual curiosity and drive we hope to instill in all our Spartan students,” said Dr. Jordan. 

Jerome also appreciated the network of faculty, professionals and policy makers he was able to meet both through his courses and through his participation in the Michigan Government Semester Program. During this internship, he was able to work directly with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.  

“That was insane that I was able to work in the governor’s office at such a pivotal time where everyone was looking to Michigan as a microcosm of the U.S.” he said. “It is so diverse here and I was able to really immerse myself in the state and learn about politics, issues Michigan cities face and realized maybe I could work here. Truthfully, it was amazing.” 

His favorite class was Urban Politics because it spoke directly to the problems he saw in his hometown of Baltimore and showed him the ways city politics works and how effective policy can be on residents.  

“It was a very, very eye-opening experience,” he said. 

The class is taught by Dr. Reckhow who noticed Jerome’s curiosity and devotion to public service. 
“"I have been fortunate to get to know Jerome as a student in my Urban Politics course, as an undergraduate learning assistant, and as an engaged Spartan who I am always delighted to see out and about on campus. He is bright, curious, and devoted to public service- he truly exemplifies the characteristics of an outstanding political science graduate from Michigan State,” Reckhow said.  
 
Another of Jerome’s favorite experiences was participating in the Gov. James Blanchard Forum on Public Policy held each fall. Most recently, Jerome was asked to introduce MSU Men’s Basketball Coach Tom Izzo for the 2024 Forum.  

“Every year I look forward to listening to the change makers,” he said. “But to actually be able to introduce Izzo was something else. And to be able to just chat with Gov. Blanchard and President Kevin (Guskiewicz) was a great opportunity.” 

Jerome also managed to rack up a significant number of awards during his time as a Political Science student. He was a finalist for the Truman Scholarship in 2024 and was nominated for the Gaither Fellowship and the Marshall Scholarship. He was also nominated for the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship and as a Rhodes Scholar – all prestigious nationally-competitive programs.  

He won the Lynch Family Promoting Civility Scholarship, garnered first place awards at both the Undergraduate Reseach and Arts Forum (UURAF) and the Diversity Research Showcase.  

He is a Political Science Scholar as well as a Social Science Scholar and a member of the MSU Honors College. He came to MSU with an Undergraduate Distinguished Scholarship, and is active in the Honors Students Actively Recruiting (H-STAR) mentoring program.  

Jerome has completed internships with the U.S. Forest Service, in addition to Gov. Whitmer’s office. And in his spare time, he volunteers with Generations Connect, an organization that links students with senior citizens in the Lansing area.  

“Jerome has a positive energy around him that’s really infectious. This will serve him well as he works to promote changes in the causes he believes in. We’re sure he’s going to accomplish big things,” said PLS Chair Dr. Jeffrey Conroy-Krutz. 

As for his next steps, Jerome is still considering his immediate plans. But he sees himself going for a master of public policy degree and then beginning his policy and advocacy work on a local, city or state level. After working at that scale for a decade, Jerome would like to pursue policy work on the federal level.  

“I want to work locally for a while and see projects all the way through,” he said. “I can see myself moving up to the federal level after that. It is literally and figuratively so huge that the policies you are working on are hard to see the actual impact. I know what we do is good for the country but I like to see the people it helps as well.” 

Jerome’s advice for new students in political science or any field is to remember their roots and what inspires them.  

“Always remember why you are doing it,” he said. “I was getting tired of the corruption of Baltimore, the vacant lots, the empty buildings. I grew up waiting for someone to do something about it. That’s my ‘why’.” 
He also urges students to take a genuine interest in their peers and the networks they can create both at MSU but also through internships and in the community. 

“Being in Lansing and talking to people in the community and really engaging with them are some of my favorite memories,” he said. “I learn so much from people who come from different places.”