17 Indian Americans Among 189 Finalists for the 2022 Harry S. Truman Scholarship
- The scholarship is awarded to college juniors “with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government, nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education or elsewhere in public service.”
Seventeen Indian Americans are among 189 finalists chosen from 126 institutions for the 2022 Harry S. Truman Scholarship. They will interview virtually with the Foundation’s Regional Review Panels between March 1and April 4, the Truman Scholars Association (TSA) announced last week.
The scholarship is awarded to college juniors “with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government, nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education or elsewhere in public service.” The TSA aims “to sustain and empower the community of Truman scholars and to strengthen a commitment to public service in all its forms through intellectual, personal and professional development.”
The scholarship was created by the U.S. Congress in 1975 as a living memorial to the 33rd president of the United States.
Indian American finalists include Sahil Bathija, Seattle University; Shreyas Hallur, Duke University; Amisha Kambath and Varshini Odayar, Harvard; Kruttika Gopal, American University; Priyanka Parikh, University of Georgia; Mahi Patel, University of Pennsylvania; Rush Patel, George Washington University; Saranya Menon, the University of Illinois at Chicago; Ananya Tadikonda, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; Eshika Kaul, Wellesley College; Prameela Kottapalli, Cornell University; Avi Gupta, Stanford University; Bhav Jain, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Nimisha Srikanth, Texas AM University; Isha Thapar, Baylor University; and Shayom Debopadhaya, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
“The overwhelming interest in public service from this year’s applicants is inspiring,” says executive secretary and 1996 Truman scholar Dr. Terry Babcock-Lumish. “Recent years tested our nation with a deadly pandemic, an economic crisis, and a renewed call to address climate change, racial injustice, and the health of our democratic institutions. While these are trying times, Americans can take solace that a generation of action-oriented young leaders is already tackling today’s challenges with an eye towards bettering tomorrow’s world.”