The Harry S. Truman Scholarship is a highly competitive and prestigious scholarship for college juniors who have outstanding leadership potential, plan to pursue careers in public service, and wish to attend graduate school to prepare for their careers. The scholarship carries an award of $30,000 plus a variety of educational and leadership development opportunities.
Hector Reyes is a first generation college student from Puerto Rico pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Economics Mathematics at the University of Southern California (USC). He developed an early interest in economics after witnessing his compatriots struggle to overcome Puerto Rico’s decade-long recession. Hector began his college career at Valparaiso University as a student-athlete on the Track and Field Team. There, he joined multiple campus organizations aimed at promoting awareness and inclusivity of multicultural identities. Hector transferred to USC in the fall of 2017. After Hurricane Maria, Hector helped coordinate fundraising and donation campaigns that raised $250,000 for Puerto Rican recovery efforts. He currently serves as a research assistant analyzing Colombia’s influential role in American politics for the Lab on Non-Democratic Politics in the USC Dornsife School of International Relations. Hector plans to pursue a PhD in Development Economics with hopes of becoming a university professor and economic adviser for the governor of Puerto Rico.
Read more about the Truman Scholarship here.