AMHERST, Mass. – Renée Barouxis, of Westfield, Mass., a junior enrolled in Commonwealth Honors College at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been named a finalist for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. The prestigious award is for outstanding students preparing for careers in public service. She was chosen from a pool of 629 applications from 293 colleges and universities, and vies to be among the 60-65 college juniors to be selected nationwide.
A political science major with minors in history and in women, gender and sexuality studies, Barouxis is also enrolled in three certificate programs: international relations, public policy and international scholars. She is currently serving as a monitor in the South African Parliament, but will travel to Boston later this month to participate in in-person interviews as she vies for the national scholarship.
Having a strong interest in women and politics, Barouxis worked as an intern for the campaign to elect Elizabeth Warren the first woman U.S. senator from Massachusetts and has served as a research assistant studying the effectiveness of female faculty mentorship.
“Renee’s achievement is very impressive indeed. She is passionate about issues regarding women in politics, and that passion shone through her application,” said Susan K. Whitbourne, professor of psychology and director of the Office of National Scholarship Advisement, who serves as the UMass Amherst faculty representative to the Truman Scholarship.
The Truman Scholarship was established as a federal memorial to U.S. President Harry S. Truman. The scholarship recognizes college juniors with exceptional leadership potential and commitment to public service careers and it provides financial support for graduate study and leadership training.
News Type:
- Student News