Four Awarded Scholarships

Four Harvard sophomores have been awarded Truman Scholarships of up to $7000 annually for four years in recognition of their high academic standing and interest in public service careers.

The Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation this week chose Sean T. Brady '89, Theresa A. Finn '89, Brooke A. Masters '89, David J. Samuels '89 and 101 other college sophomores nationwide from 1149 nominations.

The Foundation is a $30-million memorial fund set up by Congress in 1975 to award annual scholarships to second-year college students who have demonstrated "an outstanding potential for a career in public service," said Clara J. Reed, a Foundation spokesman.

The award, which covers educational costs, gives students the financial costs, gives students the financial freedom to take on typically low-paying internships in the public sector.

"I had to work nights last summer," because a daytime internship did not pay enough, said Brady. He said that this summer he hopes to work for the Environmental Protection Agency.

The four winners said that the award would go towards financing the remainder of their undergraduate education and two years of graduate school, which is supposed to steer them in the direction of public service work.

"I'm interested in improving and widening the role of local governments--I'm not sure what means would be most effective," said Samuels. He has been active in local campaigns in his home state of New Jersey since the age of 13.

This year's results are a stronger showing for Harvard than last year when the University had two winners and two alternates, said Cynthia P. Stangroom, director of fellowships at the Office of Career Services.

Stangroom said that this year each college was allowed to nominate three candidates, one more than last year. Harvard and Radcliffe, which are considered by the Foundation to be separate schools, nominated a total of six students.

For the students, the award comes after a year of filling out applications, interviews and just plain waiting.

"The whole idea of having it over your head the whole year," was one of the hardest parts for Finn, a History and Literature concentrator who hopes eventually to run for the Massachussetts state legislature.

When she heard that she had won, "I screamed," said Finn, whose mother called tell her about the scholarship yesterday. "I made her read the letter to me to make sure it was the right person." she said.