College third-year Ross Baird was awarded a Truman Scholarship, the Harry S. Truman Foundation announced yesterday. The scholarship provides $30,000 to put toward graduate school, in addition to many other networking opportunities, such as internships, public service, leadership programs and graduate school programs.
This year there were 598 applicants for 75 total scholarship winners, said Tara Yglesias, deputy executive secretary for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. After an initial review, approximately 225 applicants were selected for interviews. Each state is awarded one scholarship and there are also several "at-large" scholarships.
Baird, who is Third Year Council president, was selected as one of the representatives from the state of Georgia.
"I'm very, very excited about the opportunity," Baird said. "It's such an honor, but it's surprising too. I thought I did the best I could with my application and interview, but these things are such a crapshoot. So many others had applications that were just as good as mine."
The scholarship is awarded to students in their third year of college who represent the ideals of the foundation: commitment to public service, a record of leadership and notable academic achievement, Yglesias said.
Baird has received other recognition in the past, including a David A. Harrison III Undergraduate Research Award to study political participation in Europe, under the tutelage of Politics Prof. Larry J. Sabato.
"Ross is a terrific recipient and he fully deserves it, and I'm delighted to see a student of that ability to represent the University in the Truman Scholarship competitions," Sabato said.
When asked about Baird's future, Sabato noted his aspirations for public service.
"He'll inevitably go into politics--and that's a good thing!" Sabato said. "We need good people in politics and public policy. That's one of the main motivations for the Truman Scholarship--to find good people for the future of politics and public policy."
According to Nicole Hurd, director of the Center for Undergraduate Excellence, Baird typifies an ideal University student.
"He's someone who engages the community around him," Hurd said. "He's a very selfless leader and always thinks about ways to make the world a better place."
Read More
Student Council discusses potential student detoxification center, lockdown aftermath
By Jaylynn Perez | 1 hours agoStudent Council met Tuesday to discuss a potential proposal for a student detoxification center on Grounds following growing concerns about student safety and medical amnesty policies.
Honor Committee discusses its co-sponsorship with the Lighting of the Lawn committee
By Michael Racz | 1 hours agoThis year's co-sponsorship with Honor will give LOTL an additional $10,000 and will give Honor a table on South Lawn.
Panamanian Ambassador speaks on country’s relationship with the U.S.
By Edward Christopher | 17 hours agoThe Center for Politics hosted the event as part of Global Week 2025 in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education.
