The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation has announced the students chosen as 2021 Truman Scholars. The Truman Scholarship, created by Congress in 1975 as a tribute to President Harry S. Truman, aims to support aspiring public service leaders in the United States.

“The 2021 Truman Scholars reflect our country’s sustained commitment to the future of public service,” says Dr. Terry Babcock-Lumish, the Foundation’s Executive Secretary and a 1996 Truman Scholar from Pennsylvania. “This past year presented seemingly insurmountable challenges. Now is precisely the time to reinvest in diverse public servants who reflect America’s resourcefulness, resilience, and leadership.”

Phi Kappa Phi is proud to congratulate our members who now join the list of Truman Scholars:

Dominique DiSpirito (University of Maine) is a first-generation college student majoring in political science. She plans to pursue a joint J.D./MEP to develop the skills and expertise needed to help build strong, resilient local communities that build support for members dealing with short-term and long-term challenges.

Mia R. LeJeune (Louisiana State University) studies mass communication with a concentration in political communication and a minor in history. Her focus is on youth voting, democratic campaigns and elections. In addition to serving on Gov. John Bel Edwards' reelection campaign, she works on LSU's campus to register students to vote.

Gregory Marchal (Michigan State University) is pursuing a major in economics and minors in math, data analytics, and political economy. He worked on a research project that analyzed vaccine hesitancy in the United States and presented the findings at the Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society’s virtual conference.

Felita W. Zhang (United States Military Academy) is majoring in life science and was raised in both the United States and China. Her experiences seeing the taboo nature of reproductive health education in China and the lack of women's health knowledge among cadet leaders at West Point motived her to pursue an M.D. to serve women through health care.

Students nominated by 328 colleges and universities were reviewed by independent selection panels and recommended based on their academic success and leadership accomplishments.

Click here to learn more about all of the 2021 Truman Scholars.