Last week, Purdue University’s National and International Scholarship Office revealed that aeronautical engineering technology student Allison Boyd has become the fourth-ever Purdue student to be awarded the highly selective Truman Scholarship.
Per the Truman Scholarship Foundation, in 2024 the institution reviewed “709 files from 285 institutions,” ending with a pool of “60 outstanding colleges students” who became the final awardees. Truman Scholars are nominated by their university mentors after displaying a combination of public service, academic and leadership acumen.
National And International Scholarships Office
The National and International Scholarships Office (NISO) is housed in the John Martinson Honors College and coordinates the process of applying for scholarships and grants that require a university nomination. Purdue students applying for prestigious awards (including the Truman Scholarship) receive support and guidance through this office.
“I cannot speak more highly of NISO and its leadership – I don't think I'd be where I am today without their advice and guidance. Even before receiving the scholarship, I felt like I had already won since the process helped me in defining my grad school path and gave me a better idea of what I wanted to accomplish with my career,” says Boyd.
Earning a scholarship can change the trajectory of a Purdue student's academic and professional career. The resources provided by NISO continue to enable Purdue students to apply themselves in environments where they can develop into the best versions of themselves.
Boyd, in addition to her responsibilities as the director of activities for Purdue Aviation Day, is also “spearheading a new scholarship program [which] brings in prominent and diverse speakers [as well as] the Federal Aviation Administration to recruit students for jobs.”
“We can encourage so many more people to go into aviation and aerospace,” Boyd said. “Hopefully, we’ll see those positive changes over time.”
Boyd’s biography on the Truman Foundation’s page notes her intention to pursue a Master’s of Science in computational analysis and public policy after finishing her undergraduate degree.
Her efforts to address workforce preparedness in aviation also come from a place of personal experience; she has taken her own interests as a first-generation college student in positions of leadership not just in Aviation Day, but also on the aviation technology student council, as a Polytechnic student ambassador, and as president of Aviation Technology: Engineering and Maintenance (ATEaM).
New Truman Scholars join a network of known leaders in public service across all fields, and in almost every part of the world. Previous recipients include Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch and former National Security advisor Susan Rice.
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