Alpha Phi Alpha’s Elijah Jenkins Receives Renowned Marshall Scholarship

Alpha Phi Alpha’s very own Elijah Jenkins has been awarded a prestigious Marshall Scholarship, one of the most competitive postgraduate honors available to U.S. citizens. Jenkins is a Fall 2023 initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha and a fourth year student at the University of Chicago, where he has distinguished himself as a campus leader, SGA President, and public servant.

The Marshall Scholarship supports intellectually distinguished young Americans pursuing graduate study at any university in the United Kingdom and is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious international scholarships in the world. Less than 50 students nationwide are selected for the scholarship each year. Jenkins, an African American and Indigenous CHamoru from Chandler, Arizona, is a two-time elected Student Body President, Stamps Scholar, and Pamela Harriman Fellow. His work centers on diplomacy, development, and the political futures of the Pacific, with a strong focus on equity and self-determination.

Jenkins’ commitment to public service began in Arizona, where he co-founded African American Reconstruction, a youth-led organization focused on political education and community support. He later joined the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service Internship Program, working in Washington, D.C. to support U.S. foreign assistance efforts in the Pacific before serving at the U.S. Embassy in Koror, Palau. His policy work has also included roles with Right to Democracy and the University of Chicago Law School’s Global Human Rights Clinic, where he supported political-status education efforts across U.S. territories and initiatives protecting Indigenous CHamoru healing practices.

As a Marshall Scholar, Jenkins will pursue an MSt in Imperial History at the University of Oxford and an MPhil in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge. He plans to build a career in international law and diplomacy focused on strengthening U.S.–UK cooperation in the Pacific and advancing development policies that are accountable, sustainable, and grounded in Pacific agency.

Watch The Yard congratulates Elijah Jenkins on this extraordinary achievement and wishes him continued success as he represents Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and his community on the global stage.