FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Two University of Arkansas juniors, Julianna Kantner and Grace Stoops, have been selected as finalists for the 2022 Harry S. Truman Scholarship.   

Kantner, a Toller Honors College Fellow from Shawnee, Kansas, is majoring in political science and international and global studies in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. Stoops, of Bixby, Oklahoma, is majoring public health in the College of Education and Health Professions.

"The Truman Scholarship application process is one of the country’s most competitive,” said Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Terry Martin. “Students are selected as finalists because of a demonstrated commitment to a career in public service and because they have already been actively engaged in bringing positive change to their own campuses and communities. Given these expectations, it is easy to see why Julianna Kantner and Grace Stoops were selected as finalists. They are both committed to serving others and to making real, lasting differences in their communities, and they will go on to careers that will benefit the public in this state and beyond it." 

Truman Scholars are awarded $30,000 in scholarship funds to attend graduate or professional school. The application process is rigorous, requiring more than 50 hours to complete. This year, 705 students from 275 colleges and universities across the nation applied for Truman Scholarships. Finalists demonstrate outstanding leadership, public service, and academic achievement.

“The overwhelming interest in public service from this year’s applicants is inspiring,” reported Terry Babcock-Lumish, Executive Secretary of the Truman Foundation in a news release naming the finalists. “Recent years tested our nation with a deadly pandemic, an economic crisis, and a renewed call to address climate change, racial injustice, and the health of our democratic institutions. While these are trying times, Americans can take solace that a generation of action-oriented young leaders are already tackling today’s challenges with an eye towards bettering tomorrow’s world.”

JULIANNA KANTNER

Kantner is on a pre-law track with an interest in law and specialty court systems. She is deeply involved in refugee resettlement efforts in Northwest Arkansas, has served as president and vice president of Students with Refugees, and volunteers with non-profits working towards food security and youth mentorship. 

She is also vice president of Rotaract where she trains students on strategies for social change. Kantner co-sponsors a refugee family, welcoming them to the community and assisting in cross-cultural orientation. 

For her honors thesis, she is researching volunteer program development in refugee resettlement and launching an advocacy training program for college students to assist the local resettlement agency. 

Inspiring her interest in specialty courts, she interned in the Washington County Public Defender’s Office specializing in drug court. Kantner intends to pursue a law degree to gain the legal knowledge necessary to represent clients and provide legal aid to marginalized communities.

“I am honored to be selected as a Truman Finalist,” said Kantner. “I could not be more grateful for the incredible professors, mentors, family, and friends who have helped me throughout this process. I am thankful that I have mentors at the U of A who have taken the time to connect me to opportunities where I can learn about the needs of people in my community. I am looking forward to using my law degree to pursue support of marginalized communities. This process has pushed me to learn more about gaps in the criminal justice system, explore solutions rooted in specialty court systems, and refine my hopes for the future.”

GRACE STOOPS

Stoops studies public health with a minor in medical humanities, with a long-term focus on student health education at both secondary and college levels. On campus, she founded Sexual Health Organization and Outreach ​(SHOO). SHOO provides sex education to U of A students through events, seminars, and guest speakers.  

She has also volunteered at The Little Light House, a nonprofit school for disabled children, and is currently a hospitality and management intern at the YMCA of the Rockies. Stoops plans to obtain a Master’s in Public Health with an emphasis in health education and initially work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  In the future, she hopes to use her extensive research to expand SHOO nationally as a non-profit and create outreach programs for college students.

"I am extremely humbled at the honor of being a 2022 Truman Scholarship finalist,” said Stoops.  “The application encouraged me to learn more about my passions and about the community I will one day gladly serve. I am very excited to see where this opportunity takes me and appreciate all the support I have received from faculty and advisors!"

University of Arkansas students who are interested in applying for the Truman Scholarship should contact the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards at awards@uark.edu. 

About U of A Truman Scholars: The University of Arkansas has produced 25 Truman Scholars, more than any other university in the Southeastern Conference. In 2002, the University of Arkansas was named a Truman Scholarship Honor Institution for student commitment to service and its record with the Truman Scholarship Program. Since 2012, ten U of A students have been named Truman Scholars. Recent Scholars include Coleman Warren, political science, 2021; Samia Ismail, biomedical engineering, 2019; Ryann Alonso, political science and communication, and Sam Harris, agricultural business, 2017; Victoria Maloch, agricultural business, and Danielle Neighbour, civil engineering, 2016; Grant Addison, history and political science, 2015; Cicely Shannon, economics, 2014; Nathan Coulter, political science, 2013; and Mike Norton, agricultural business and poultry science, 2012.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among fewer than 3 percent of colleges and universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.