The Truman Scholarship was created by an act of Congress in 1975 in honor of President Harry S. ... [+]
The 2023 class of Truman Scholars has been announced by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. This year’s scholars include 62 college students representing 60 U.S. colleges and universities.
About 60 Truman Scholars are selected each year from hundreds of college juniors who go through a multi-stage selection process, requiring an initial nomination by their undergraduate colleges, selection as a finalist by a Truman Finalist Selection Committee, and an interview with one of the Regional Review Panels that make the final choices. Candidates may major in any subject area likely to lead to a public service career, and they can pursue any graduate degree, other than the MBA.
Nominees are evaluated on the basis of their academic success and leadership accomplishments, as well as their likelihood of becoming public service leaders. This year 705 candidates were nominated by 275 colleges and universities. The Finalist Selection Committee selected 199 students from 133 institutions to interview with the Foundation’s Regional Review Panels between March 2nd and April 4th.
“We have confidence that these 62 new Trumans will meet their generation's challenges together," says Dr. Terry Babcock-Lumish, the Foundation’s Executive Secretary and a 1996 Truman Scholar from Pennsylvania. “Selected from across America, the 2023 Truman Scholars reflect our country as innovative, purposeful, patriotic problem-solvers, never shying away from a challenge.”
Some of the highlights of the 2023 cohort include:
- Five institutions – Longwood University, Jackson State University, San Diego State University, Georgia College and State University, and Youngstown State University - had their first Truman Scholars.
- Two institutions had multiple Truman Scholars – University of Minnesota and University of South Dakota.
- More than half (52%) of the Scholars attended public universities, 19 (31%) attended private research universities, 8 (13%) attended private liberal arts colleges, and 2 (4%) scholars attend service academies.
The full list and brief biographies of the 2023 Truman Scholars can be found here.
Considered the premier graduate scholarship for students who intend to enter governmental work or public service, the Truman Scholarship was created by an act of Congress in 1975 soon after President Harry S. Truman passed away. It was established as a living memorial to Truman, and for nearly 50 years Truman Scholarships have reflected the legacy of the 33rd President by supporting and inspiring Americans from diverse backgrounds to enter public service.
As a condition of receiving Truman funds, scholars are required to work in public service for three of the seven years following completion of a Foundation-funded graduate degree program. They are also required to file annual reports with the Foundation in order to access and maintain their scholarship funding.
The stipend is up to $30,000 toward a public service graduate degree, although some institutions make arrangements to match the award with supplemental funding of their own. In addition, scholars receive leadership training, career counseling, and special internship and fellowship opportunities within the federal government. The Scholars also take part in the Truman Scholars Leadership Week, held at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri.
As in the past, many of this year’s Scholars are students of color, first-generation college students, and recent immigrants to the United States. This year’s cohort includes political activists; artists; NCAA Division 1 athletes; a boxing coach; interns at the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives; a Bronze Star recipient; a U.S. Park Ranger; founders of non-profit organizations; and published researchers and authors.
Consistent with the intent of the Truman program, the Scholars’ fields of study span a broad array of interests, illustrated by these few examples:
- Lina Altaan Al Hariri is currently studying international studies and diplomacy, Arabic and area studies, and gender and women's studies in the honors program at the University of Rhode Island.
- Andee Baker studies agriculture communications, psychology, and agriculture business at Montana State University.
- Maisie Brown pursuing a BA in political science with a special research interest in education and environmental policy at Jackson State University.
- Madeleine Dotson is currently pursuing a dual degree in Arabic, economics, and political science at the University of Mississippi.
- Sky Harper studies chemistry (biochemistry concentration), with a biology and interdisciplinary problem-solving minor at Drexel University.
- Jason Hess is majoring in mechanical engineering and minoring in mathematics at Youngstown State University.
- Anna Mathis is pursuing a double major in agricultural communications and agricultural leadership with a minor in global studies at the University of Arkansas.
- Klemmer Nicodemus is a chemical engineering major with a minor in chemistry at the University of Louisville.
- Ambria Williams studies public policy with a primary focus area in health law and bioethics at New York University.
This year’s 62 awardees join a community of 3,504 Truman Scholars who’ve been selected since the first awards in 1977.
