Prestigious Truman Scholar Named from School of Social Sciences
UC Irvine School of Social Sciences student, Jacqueline Chattopadhyay, has been named as Truman Scholar and awarded one of the Harry S. Truman Foundation’s prestigious scholarships. Chattopadhyay is the third UCI student in the last five years to receive the national scholarship, which is given to just 77 students nationwide.
Chattopadhyay was awarded the scholarship in recognition of her leadership abilities, commitment to public service and potential for making a significant contribution to national public policy. As part of her Truman scholarship application, Chattopadhyay submitted a policy recommendation to establish a California "rainy-day fund" that would protect higher education from budget deficits and funding cuts.
At UCI, she founded the “Students-Mentoring-Students Outreach Program” to connect disadvantaged Orange County high school students with college students, faculty and administrators to increase their eligibility for UC admission. She holds leadership roles in the UCI Chapter of Golden Key International Honor Society; the School of Social Sciences' Dean's Ambassador Council; and the Winners' Circle, an organization of students who help other students achieve their academic goals. She is also a member of UC Irvine's Campus-wide Honors Program and a recipient of both Regents and Alumni Scholarships.
Each student receives a $26,000 grant - $2,000 for the senior year and $24,000 for graduate study. Scholars also receive leadership training, career and graduate counseling and special internship opportunities within the federal government.