Two FAMU students selected as Gubernatorial Fellows

FAMU students Herron Keyon Gaston and Disraeli Smith will be working the Florida capitol this year as two of only 14 Gubernatorial Fellows.

Branded “Florida’s Most Prestigious Program for Leadership and Public Service,” the Gubernatorial Fellows program is modeled after the White House Fellows program. Students work in one of the agencies administered by the Florida governor, depending upon their respective areas of study.

Gaston holds a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in political science/pre-law studies from FAMU. He’s currently pursuing a graduate degree in political science on The Hill. He graduated from Haines City High School, where he served as senior class president.

Smith is a fourth-year professional MBA student in FAMU's School of Business and Industry, member of the Marching 100, and has served as secretary of alumni affairs for FAMU SGA. He graduated from Westlake High School and was one of only two Georgia students selected for the 2006 United States Senate Youth Program.

Gubernatorial Fellows are selected based on a competitive application process that evaluates a list of qualities which include: strong leadership, written and oral communication skills, community activism, and a desire to serve the people of Florida. Fellows work a minimum of 20 hours each week and receive an hourly wage.

Gaston and Smith follow in the footsteps of former FAMU Gubernatorial Fellows Darius Graham, a University of California Berkeley Law School graduate, Mellori Lumpkin, an incoming Berkeley Law student, and Torey Alston, Executive Director of Florida's Office of Supplier Diversity.