Georgetown University

Washington, D.C. -- Georgetown University student Sebastian Johnson (C’ 10) was named a 2009 Truman Scholar today. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation provides up to $30,000 in funding to college juniors hoping to pursue graduate degrees in public service fields. Johnson is Georgetown's 25th Truman Scholar.

“I congratulate Sebastian on this prestigious award,” said Chester Gillis, interim Georgetown College dean and professor of theology. “His commitment to addressing a range of issues important to urban development is timely and relevant to current public policy debates. Sebastian is an exceptional member of the Georgetown community and I am pleased his research will be supported with this scholarship."

Sebastian Johnson is a political economy major from Tacoma Park, Md. and is studying at the London School of Economics this semester. He plans to use his Truman scholarship to study public policy and urban planning and hopes to eventually work for the local government in Washington, D.C. focusing on the complex issues of gentrification.

His interest in urban planning comes from his personal experiences. As a high school student, Johnson served as the student member of the Montgomery County Board of Education, advocating for immigrant students, improving communications with students through a television talk show on the campus cable channel and passing a new policy to allow middle school students to carry cell phones on campus. For the last two years Johnson has served as regional director of Our Education, a national non-profit dedicated to ensuring access to high quality education for every American child.

“There can be no doubt at all that Sebastian Johnson is going to be one of the leaders of his generation. He is already so poised and accomplished. I began with a comparison to Barack Obama that may have seemed bold, perhaps over bold, but if you meet Sebastian Johnson you will know exactly what I meant, and how right I was,” wrote University Fellowship Secretary and Professor of English John Glavin in a letter nominating Sebastian Johnson.

At Georgetown, Johnson has also served in the Georgetown University Student Association and regularly makes the Dean’s List. The winner of the McTighe Prize, which honors a Georgetown student who embodies the ideal student experience of learning and community involvement, Johnson addressed the incoming class at new student convocation in the fall of 2008.

“Throughout my life I have been lucky to live in a community with excellent schools, where I had challenging coursework and great teachers, and where there existed a strong tradition of student involvement in the education process. Sadly, the norm across our country is the opposite. After my time on the school board, I decided that making the opportunities given to me a reality for all students would be a lifelong commitment,” Johnson wrote in his Truman application.

“As an urban planner, I hope that I can help build communities like the one I grew up in so that every child can have the opportunities I had.”

Truman Scholars are selected for their leadership potential, intellectual ability and passion for a career in public service. This year 60 students from 55 U.S. colleges and universities were selected from among 601 candidates nominated by 298 colleges and universities. The 601 applicants do not include the number of students who compete on individual campuses for one of four total nominations accepted from each institution.

Recipients must be U.S. citizens, demonstrate outstanding leadership potential and communication skills, be in the top quarter of their class, and be committed to careers in government or the not-for-profit sector—committing to work in public service for three of the seven years following completion of their scholarship tenure. Today, past scholars hold positions in various areas of public service, including government, the non-profit or advocacy sectors and education.

The 2009 Truman Scholars will assemble May 26 for a leadership development program at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, and receive their awards in a special ceremony at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri on May 31, 2009.

The U.S. Congress established the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation in 1975 as a federal memorial to President Harry S. Truman. In addition to academic funding, the foundation assists scholars with assistance with career counseling, internship placement, graduate school admissions and professional development. For additional information, visit: http://www.truman.gov/index.htm.

About Georgetown University

Georgetown University is the oldest and largest Catholic and Jesuit university in America, founded in 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll. Georgetown today is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in Washington, DC, Doha, Qatar and around the world. For more information about Georgetown University, visit www.georgetown.edu.