Sophie Cardin ’22, a political science major from Denver, Colorado, has been named a Truman Scholar, the premier graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the United States. This is the first time in 25 years a Colorado College student has received this award. 

Truman Scholars demonstrate outstanding leadership potential, a commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector, and academic excellence. Each Truman Scholar receives funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling, and special internship and fellowship opportunities within the federal government.

Cardin, a third-year Boettcher Scholar studying political thought and philosophy of law, intends to continue studying political thought and then pursue a law degree, focusing on constitutional law and civil rights.

“I am thrilled to be joining a community of accomplished activists, devoted organizers, and thoughtful students,” says Cardin. “And, more than anything, I am excited to be representing Colorado College where I have found a loving and engaged community.”

Cardin also was named a Newman Civic Fellow this year, a yearlong program that recognizes and supports community-committed students. Those selected are leaders on their campuses who demonstrate a commitment to finding solutions for challenges facing communities locally, nationally, and internationally.

Cardin’s struggles with dyslexia instilled in her a deep concern for equity that motivates her work on youth civic engagement, voting rights, and antiracism.  She works as a community organizer and writing tutor. When she is not talking politics at the dinner table, she enjoys reading old books, baking bread, ceramics, and writing poetry. To relax, she throws pots, “but not at anyone, usually,” she says.

This year’s 62 Truman Scholars were selected from 845 candidates nominated by 328 colleges and universities — a record number of applicants. They were recommended by 17 independent selection panels based on the finalists’ academic success and leadership accomplishments, as well as their likelihood of becoming public service leaders. Regional selection panels met virtually and included distinguished civic leaders, elected officials, university presidents, federal judges, and past Truman Scholarship winners.

Established by Congress in 1975 as the living memorial to President Harry S. Truman and national monument to public service, the Truman Scholarship carries the legacy of the 33rd president by supporting and inspiring the next generation of public service leaders. When approached by a bipartisan group of admirers near the end of his life, Truman embodied this commitment to the future of public service by asking Congress to create a living memorial devoted to this purpose, rather than a traditional brick-and-mortar monument. For more than 40 years, the Truman Foundation has fulfilled that mission: inspiring and supporting Americans from diverse backgrounds to public service.

This year’s awardees join a community of 3,384 Truman Scholars named since the first awards in 1977.