If you ask any staff member at the Student Professional Development Center about Cedric Pulliam, chances are, they know him.
Pulliam, a senior political science and international studies major, has gone beyond the required completion of one Experiential Learning Requirement and instead, received credit for all five ELRs. He’s studied abroad not once but four times and conducted 10 different internships throughout his career at Elon University, some even at the same time. His ELR transcript will also state he’s fulfilled the service and leadership aspects.
“He’s an ideal illustration of the power of internships,” said Rene Jackson, career adviser for graduate school programs. “Simply having one and doing something with one aren’t the same.”
Pulliam said he credits most of his success to the Elon faculty and staff members he’s worked with, including Pam Brumbaugh, director of Experiential Education, Chalmers Brumbaugh, professor of political science and Prudence Layne, professor of English and his mentor.
“Both Chalmers and Pam Brumbaugh are more than mentors,” Pulliam said. “They are my lifelong friends that I always miss when I’m away from campus and always make ‘just because’ phone calls to. Dr. Prudence Layne has played a role as a mentor to me in so many ways. She has encouraged me to go beyond what I thought was possible.”
Pulliam’s family members have also been key figures in his success, and his parents, Burlington natives, have been his personal cheerleaders, he said. Having parents who are government employees and having visited military bases across the nation and lived in different countries shaped Pulliam’s interest in international affairs, he said.
“I was afforded the opportunity to study in Dijon, France in a French-instructed high school and homestay experience,” Pulliam said. “Exposure to the French government and Sciences Po (university in Paris) was all that I needed to influence my European concentration.”
Building his ELR experiences
Pulliam’s first study abroad experience in Europe was in middle school, and he’s been to European and Asian countries during his college journey. His Elon experiences include separate Winter Term trips to Ireland, India and a European Union tour, and a semester in Malta through a non-Elon program.
His research ranges from topics on French culture, land recompilation programs in India and migration, asylum and refugee systems in Malta. His senior seminar project focuses on U.S. Constitutional Law and is in an independent research project with Rudolf Zarzar, becoming Zarzar’s last independent research student since the professor is retiring after this spring, according to Pulliam.
Pulliam’s internships were in different fields, including the United States Department of the Air Force, the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta and the Alamance County District Attorney’s Office, where he had different roles.
“He’s done an extraordinary number of internships,” Jackson said. “When you have those many internships, it’s hard to make them look that great because they really all are.”
Campus involvement
Pulliam has held various leadership positions ranging from being an SGA member to being a mentor to first-year students for S.M.A.R.T., Elon's mentorship program for first year multicultural students. He’s also been a part of the Isabella Cannon Leadership Program, through which he has been developing a legacy project on Asian Studies.
[quote]He is focused on bettering himself as an individual and bettering his organizations in order to leave a legacy after he graduates Elon. -Steven Mencarini, director of center for leadership[/quote] “The first word I think of when I hear Cedric’s name is committed,” said Steven Mencarini, director of the Center for Leadership. “Working with Cedric has been a delight because he has delved deep into the program and committed to developing himself as a leader. He is focused on bettering himself as an individual and bettering his organizations in order to leave a legacy after he graduates Elon.”
For two years, Pulliam has been working with the S.M.A.R.T. program as the Student Program Coordinator and this year as a mentor.
“He is driven, dedicated and focused,” said Melissa Jordan, assistant director of the Multicultural Center. “He’s one of the students I’ve met that is motivated, going to seek out opportunities and have a good experience.”
Pulliam’s other campus involvement include Periclean Scholars, Elon Volunteers! and different pre-law clubs and organizations that focus on international issues.
Looking ahead
Pulliam’s biggest motivator is to make a difference, and he’d like to work with the Department of State and incorporate his two majors and experiences from study abroad, internships and research. Law school is an option, but his short-term goals includes graduate school and becoming a U.S. Department Foreign Services Officer.
“The fact that policy never sleeps and with Foreign Service officers being one of the main deliverers of policy information from abroad, it speaks volumes to me that my future job will never be dead,” he said. “There is always ongoing activity in other nations, and FSOs around the globe will always be needed to relay it back to the United States.”
“I’ve decided my calling is TFA,” he said. “The best part is that it’s in good favor for me because TFA has a new partnership with Goldman Sachs that offers minority corps members summer internships, and I was chosen. The coordinator emailed me and said I’m an immaculate candidate.”
Pulliam has been working on 16 deferral letters since his acceptance into Teach for America, and he said the next steps now are to graduate and get ready for his teaching position in Houston, Texas. He also plans to reapply for the Rangel program and attend Harvard for a Master’s in public policy.
“It’s amazing for someone to go on their own and pursue those fellowships and programs,” Jackson said. “Whenever I see Cedric, I tell him I’m just in awe.”