Phoenix Rice-Johnson, a junior from Pahoa, Hawaii, majoring in political science and international studies, is one of two University of Wisconsin-Madison students selected to receive a 2015 Truman Scholarship.
The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation awards the scholarships annually to undergraduates planning careers in public service leadership. Rice-Johnson will receive $30,000 for her graduate education, as well as professional development opportunities in leadership and public service.
John Karl Scholz, dean of the College of Letters & Science, surprised Rice-Johnson in her Hindi class, entering under the pretext that administrative review of the course had determined that an extra paper was needed for the students to receive full credit. To avoid the extra work, he said, the class could join him in enthusiastically congratulating the new Truman Scholar, who was moved to tears.
A dedicated student with a passion for public affairs, Rice-Johnson plans to pursue both a law degree and a master's degree in government at Georgetown University, followed by a career in politics. She is particularly interested in issues of voter disenfranchisement and civic engagement.
This year, 688 candidates were nominated for the award by 297 schools across the United States. In late March and early April, regional selection panels interviewed each of the 200 finalists. The foundation selected 58 students for the award, which will be presented in a ceremony at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum on Sunday, May 24.
Congress created the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation in 1975 to serve as the nation's living memorial to President Truman. The foundation's mission is to discover, encourage and support the next generation of leaders in public service. The Truman Scholarship is one of the most prestigious national awards in the country.
Another student from the College of Letters & Science, Miles Tryon-Petith received an honorable mention from the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, which annually awards the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship. he scholarships go to sophomores and juniors for their leadership, service and commitment to environmental issues or issues in American Indian communities.
Tryon-Petith, a junior from Madison, Wisconsin, is majoring in geology, geological engineering and geophysics.