MONROVIA-A Liberian from a remote village in Nimba county, behind Sanniquellie and a one-time classroom teacher has graduated with distinction from one of America’s prestigious Universities-Harvard.
Jenkins Vangehn After he received many awards from the US Embassy, In 2021, he received the prestigious and rare global Hero of US Diplomacy Award 2021 for his role in ending the Second Liberian Civil War in August 2003.
But his desire to excel in academic work remain unbending and made him to enroll at the prestigious Harvard University after he retired from the
Embassy in July 2020
He graduated from Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University and graduated with distinction and obtained a Master’s degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Public Policy.
Jenkins was also awarded a distinguished Mason Fellow Certificate from Harvard Kennedy School for his outstanding academic performance. He is seen as a Liberian accredited with distinction in almost all the schools he has graduated from over the years.
He was the first Liberian to be awarded the global Foreign Service National of the Year award. Jenkins received two Superior Honor Awards as well as six Meritorious Honor Awards. He was also awarded the Eagle Award, Franklin Award and many other US State Department awards.
The Liberian graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Sanniquellie before going to Ghana where he enrolled in the Institute of Management Studies to pursue an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Business Management and Accounting. Later, he was admitted to the University of Ghana where he studied History and Political Science. After graduating from the University of Ghana Legon in 1998, he returned to Liberia and taught History and Geography at Jimmy Jolocon High school in Monrovia.
Jenkins started his career at the US Embassy ( State Department) in January 2001 as a political assistant. He rose up the ranks to become a political specialist.
Jenkins accomplished many remarkable feats at the Embassy, including being nominated for Global Foreign Service National of the Year his first year.
He received two Superior Honor Awards as well as six Meritorious Honor Awards. The Eagle Award, Franklin Award, among many other US State Department awards, followed by the Meritorious Honor Awards. In 2021, Jenkins received the prestigious and rare global Hero of US Diplomacy Award 2021 for his role in ending the Second Liberian Civil War in August 2003, when he single-handedly drafted the local ceasefire agreement that ended the fighting in Monrovia between the then Government of Liberia and LURD rebels who seemed poised to overrun Monrovia where over a million Liberians had moved to seek refuge from fighting that had engulfed the countryside.
Jenkins was employed at the US Embassy and studied at the George P. Schultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center, where he received several certificates in Diplomacy, Diplomacy and Crisis Management.
Jenkins was also awarded the distinguished Mason Fellow Certificate from Harvard Kennedy School for outstanding academic performance.
He expressed delight when the USA paper contacted him. He is still grateful to them.
“ I am humbled and want to thank all those who one way or the other helped me from my grade school to this level. I shall ever remain grateful to them and the American people,” he said.–
Source: New republic liberia
