Husky Nominated for Truman Scholarship

We are delighted to share that Leah Fitzpayne has been nominated for the Truman Scholarship for Public Service. The Truman Scholarship is the most prestigious award for junior-level undergraduate citizens of the United States who possess outstanding leadership skills and are interested in a career in public service. It serves as a living memorial to President Harry S. Truman. As noted, “President Truman often spoke about the importance of promoting young leaders, and envisioned a program for students that would encourage educated citizenship and political responsibility. Therefore, after his death in 1972, the President’s friends and family found this memorial especially fitting.”

Leah Fitzpayne CSSH’26, Political Science
Mentors: Jimmy Segel, Jonathan Stahler and Richard Morningstar

Leah is an Honors student majoring in political science and minoring in law and public policy. Originally from Washington, DC, she has always been passionate about public service. Leah interned for the Lung Cancer Action Network in high school, where she compiled state-by-state data on lung cancer prevalence, mortality, and racial disparity rates. Advocates used her research in a successful campaign to increase congressional funding for lung cancer research. This experience informed her desire to study policy and her plan to go to law school to help ensure that all cancer patients have access to affordable, high-quality health care.

Since enrolling at Northeastern, Leah has interned in the US Senate, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Office of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, the US House of Representatives, and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. She looks forward to working for House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark this summer. At Northeastern, Leah has served as the Mission and Advocacy Chair for Northeastern’s Relay for Life, as a member of the Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Committee, and led the Grant AME Church tutoring program through Northeastern’s Community Volunteer Program. Currently, she volunteers with Community Servings and has started a new role as co-chair of Advocacy and Engagement for Relay for Life. In her free time, she enjoys being with friends and watching the Celtics.