OSU student is Truman Scholarship finalist
Friday, March 2, 2018
Oklahoma State University student Sarah Oliver has been named among the finalists for the highly-competitive 2018 Truman Scholarship, the premiere graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the United States.
Oliver, a junior from Ardmore and biochemistry major, is an active member of the OSU Honors College with an outstanding academic record and extensive history of leadership and service.
She is among 194 finalists selected from more than 750 applications for the national scholarship, which provides 55 – 65 annual winners with up to $30,000 to apply toward graduate studies in the U.S. or abroad in a wide variety of fields.
Oliver and other finalists will interview with regional review panels between now and April 6. The selection of the Truman Scholars will be announced on April 20.
"It has been an incredible honor to be considered for the Truman Scholarship. I look forward to representing OSU in this prestigious competition as I advance to the final interview stage," says Oliver.
If Oliver receives the Truman Scholarship, she plans to pursue a juris doctorate and become an attorney who contributes to the efforts of a non-profit organization, addressing human rights and health issues at local, national, and international levels.
Through visits to her mother’s native village in the Philippines, Oliver’s early exposure to the global community has shaped both her educational interests and her passion for service. She has actively pursued service projects and an international education of cultural and biological conservation. She recognizes that issues, such as food security concerns, are not limited to low-income countries and that has motivated her to serve local communities in Oklahoma as well.
Oliver currently serves as president and philanthropy chair of the OSU Honors College living community in Stout Hall, where she coordinates event and volunteerism programming with an emphasis on mentorship.
She has gained a strong background in international volunteerism, travel, and experiences in agricultural development as a Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Research Scholar. Oliver has been involved in short-term mission trips to Honduras, spent a summer working in rural communities in the Philippines, participated in a nine-week French immersion study abroad program at the Institute of Touraine in Tours, France, and recently traveled to India and Sri Lanka studying rural agriculture through visits to educational research facilities and community non-profits.
OSU students have been selected for this scholarship so many times that the university was designated as Oklahoma’s first Truman Honor Institution in 2000.
The Henry Bellmon Office of Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research at OSU has long been a national leader and innovator in scholar development, assisting highly-motivated students through competition for prestigious national/international scholarships and fellowships. The office also encourages student-faculty mentoring, undergraduate research, curricular options in the OSU Honors College, international travel experience and exposure to other cultures. For more information, contact Jessica Sullins at jessica.sullins@okstate.edu or phone (405) 744-7313.