OHIO STATE STUDENT RECEIVES TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP
COLUMBUS -- Soraya Rofagha of POWELL, a junior political science major and student trustee at The Ohio State University, is among approximately 70 undergraduates in the country to receive a 1999 Truman Scholarship.
The scholarship from the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation rewards leadership ability, academic achievement, commitment to public service and potential to "make a difference." Each recipient is granted up to $30,000 -- $3,000 for the senior year and $27,000 for two or three years of graduate study. Rofagha, 20, plans to attend medical school and seek a master's degree in public policy.
"I am so proud of Soraya for this extraordinary accomplishment," President William E. Kirwan said, "but I am not entirely surprised. I have been impressed by Soraya's work on behalf of the university as a member of the Board of Trustees. Her commitment to academics and community service, combined with the experience of being a Truman Scholar, convince me she is a person who will make a difference in our country."
To be eligible for the scholarship, candidates must be U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals, have junior-level academic status, be in the top quarter of their class, and be committed to careers in government, education or the not-for-profit sector.
"These scholarships are extremely prestigious and highly competitive," said David O. Frantz, professor of English and Ohio State's faculty representative to the Truman foundation. Frantz said Ohio State was invited to nominate four candidates; Rofagha was the university's only finalist.
Rofagha has served as the undergraduate student trustee since 1997 and is vice chair of the board's Student Affairs Committee. An honors student and student research assistant in a pathology laboratory, she spent the summer of 1998 working in Washington, D.C., as an intern for Sen. John Glenn. She also has been accepted into the summer/fall 1999 fellows program at the Washington, D.C.-based Ronald H. Brown Center for Politics and Commercial Diplomacy, which provides training in the areas of nonpartisan political development and commercial diplomacy.
As a member of Ohio Staters Inc., a service organization dedicated to promoting the welfare and traditions of the university, Rofagha co-chaired OSU Contact, a leadership retreat for first- and second-year students, and was co-chair of Cans Galore, a large-scale canned-food drive for the homeless. Rofagha, carrying a minor in international studies, spent winter quarter in the Dominican Republic studying international development through a program offered by the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Rofagha is a member of Bucket and Dipper Junior Honorary and served as a Romophos Sophomore Honor Society representative to the Association of Ohio State Class Honoraries. In 1998, she received a University Presidential Leadership Citation Award. She also was a member of the 1998 Homecoming Court.
A National Merit Distinguished Scholar and a Battelle Scholar, Rofagha graduated from Columbus School for Girls in 1996. She is the daughter of Shokrollah Rofagha and Sedigheh Keyhani-Rofagha.
The Truman Scholarship Foundation was established by Congress in 1975 as the official federal memorial to honor the 33rd president. This year's scholarship recipients were among 200 finalists selected from among 656 candidates nominated by 332 colleges and universities. For more information about the scholarship program, visit the foundation Web site: http://www.truman.gov/
Contact:
Soraya Rofagha, (614) 421-6762
David Frantz, English, (614) 292-6869
Note: If you have trouble reaching Rofagha, please call Emily Caldwell in University Communications, (614) 292-8309.