Mississippi State Sen.Hillman Frazier was recently included in the Eisenhower Foundation’s 60th anniversary publication titled, “60 Years, 60 Stories,” which highlights the results of Eisenhower Fellowships spanning six decades. Frazier is a Jackson State University alumnus and a member of JSU’s Margaret Walker Center advisory board.
—–
The Eisenhower Foundation
HILLMAN FRAZIER, 1998 USA
State Senator, Mississippi
Traveling to Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania in 1998, Hillman Frazier set out to explore distance learning programs in the Eastern European region. Specifically, he wanted to understand how the recurring program costs of these programs were financed and to learn about education technology infrastructure and the funding models necessary to put such programs in place. Additionally, Frazier wanted to better understand workforce development issues and examine different approaches to
workforce training, including internships for university students. As a state senator for the State of Mississippi, Frazier was hoping to learn what he could do to enhance education in his own region.
Frazier serves to this day in the Mississippi State Senate, and in reflecting on his fellowship experience says that his “family is more global”, and that education has become a priority for him as a result of his fellowship. He has used his position in the Senate to be a strong advocate for bettering the education system, specifically by pushing for greater financial resources for education, increasing training for teachers and providing more programming for students.
Perhaps one of the most direct results from Frazier’s fellowship experience comes from his realization after his travel that
there was a global need for more exposure to various education models and opportunities. In light of this, Frazier saw the
importance of creating an opportunity for international internships at the Mississippi State Senate. Now he welcomes
students from all around the world who attend universities in Mississippi to serve as interns in his office. This year,
students from Bangladesh, Jordan and Egypt will have the opportunity to intern. Frazier says this greatly influences the
students’ growth as it broadens their dreams and ability for impact when they return home. As a result of their
internships, many of the students have become politically involved in their home countries after their experiences at the
State Senate in Mississippi.
Dozens of international Fellows have benefitted from Frazier’s gracious hospitality and superb programming in a wide
range of professional and cultural pursuits during their time in the U.S. Many Fellows described their time spent with the
humble senator from Mississippi as the highlight of their programs. Frazier states he “learns as much from them as they
do from me.” Of his overall experience with EF, Frazier says that “my Eisenhower Fellowship has helped me to grow as
a person. It has made me sensitive to the struggles of others in my decision-making, and has made me aware that my
decisions have global effects.”