Two Selected as Truman Scholars

Two Harvard undergraduates have received the prestigious Truman Scholarship, given to juniors nationwide who excel in intellectual ability and public service, the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation announced last month.

Alex A. Boni-Saenz '01of Eliot House and Kirkland House resident Kevin S. Schwartz '01, who is also a Crimson editor, are among the 61winners already announced by the foundation.

Other winners will be named later, Boni-Saenz said.

A total of 75 to 80 Truman Scholars will receive $30,000 to use for their senior year of college and graduate school. They will also participate in a weeklong leadership symposium in Missouri in late May.

Boni-Saenz, a psychology and government concentrator, said he has dedicated much of his time at Harvard focusing on issues affecting the elderly.

"I want to make sure everyone has a dignified life," he said. "I want to make sure we don't view the elderly as incompetent."

Boni-Saenz is the director of elderly affairs at the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) and has worked on policy ideas involving Medicare, Social Security and nursing home regulations.

Although Boni-Saenz said he plans to study aging issues at the Heller Graduate School at Brandeis University after graduation, he remains open to other options.

"Too many people have told me that I will change my mind for me to be definite about it," he said.

In addition to elderly issues, Boni-Saenz has worked for gay marriage and is active in several Latino organizations on campus.

Schwartz, a government concentrator, said he became interested in the Truman Scholars program because of the foundation's commitment to public service.

"I really feel passionately about the goals that they are fostering in students," Schwartz said. "It really seemed like a terrific opportunity."

Schwartz spent last summer as a White House intern and interned on Capitol Hill in previous years.

He is president of the Harvard Mock Trial Team and serves on the governing board of the PBHA Small Claims Advisory Service, which advises poor people about their legal rights.

Jean H. Han '02, a member of the Mock Trial team, said Schwartz is an effective leader because of his dedication and his willingness to listen.

"He's extremely committed," Han said of Schwartz. "What he says that he's going to do, he does without fail."

"He's very much open to suggestions and ideas, and he takes people's input," she added.

Candidates must go through a rigorous application process to become Truman Scholars.

"The interview process was very long and emotionally draining," Boni-Saenz said.

Applicants must answer several essay questions, create a public policy proposal and complete an interview simply to become one of four students nominated by their college.

A committee narrows the pool to 200, and regional selection panels interview these candidates before deciding on 75 to 80 winners, including students from every state and U.S. possession.

Four Harvard students were Truman scholars last year, but this year marked the first in which Radcliffe College could not submit four nominees of its own, which made the application process more selective.

"I was told that the competition at the Harvard level was going to be even worse than at the national level," Boni-Saenz said.

Despite the difficult process, Schwartz said applying for the award was worth the trouble, even for those who do not become Truman Scholars.

"[The foundation's] interest is not only picking winners but also helping youngsters focus their goals in community service," Schwartz said. "It really helps you get a sense of clarity in what your goals are."