Axel Hawkins named Truman Scholarship finalist

Georgia College & State University junior Axel Hawkins has been named a finalist in the 2024 Truman Scholarship competition. 

Hawkins, a history major from McDonough, Georgia, will interview with the regional review panel in Atlanta on March 15. The Truman Scholarship Foundation will announce the 2024 Truman Scholars on April 19.

Established by an act of the United States Congress in 1975, the Truman Scholarship serves as a living memorial to the 33rd president of the United States, Harry S. Truman. The Act authorized the foundation to “award scholarships to persons who demonstrate outstanding potential for and who plan to pursue a career in public service.” 

Each year, the foundation awards roughly 60 awards to college juniors throughout the United States and its territories. The rigorous application process requires that applicants possess a strong record of public service leadership and that they compose a policy proposal that addresses a particular issue in society.

Students who are selected to be Truman Scholars receive up to $30,000 for graduate school and participate in leadership development activities, including the Truman Scholars Leadership Week held annually at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. 

Truman Scholars also have special opportunities for internships and employment with the federal government, including the Truman Summer institute, which places scholars in internships in Washington, D.C. in the summer following their senior year.  

This year, the Truman Foundation selected 191 applicants representing 136 institutions from a pool of 709 applicants from 285 institutions. Only three schools from Georgia—Emory, the University of Georgia and Georgia College—had students selected as finalists. 

If selected as a Truman Scholar, Axel would be the second Georgia College student to receive this honor. Last year, junior Colin Hall, a political science major from Macon, Georgia, was named a Truman Scholar.