Junior named a 2025 Truman Scholar
Junior sociology major Eli Leadham has been named a 2025 Truman Scholar.
The Truman Scholarship, created to support the future of public service in America, is the most competitive national scholarship program for juniors in the country. Out of 743 applications, 54 college students from 49 institutions were selected.
“I am standing on so many people’s shoulders, and this award is a testament to Wake Forest’s faculty,” said Leadham. “I am grateful and humbled by this opportunity, and I thank all of my mentors who challenged me to become not only a better student but also a better advocate.”
Students receive up to $30,000 to support graduate or professional school studies, participate in leadership development activities, and join an alumni network that includes famous individuals such as Stacey Abrams, Susan Rice and Daniel Pink.
Leadham, who is from Portland, Oregon, is a 2024 Cross Examination Debate Association National Champion Finalist and a Wake Forest Presidential Scholar in Debate.
“Wake Forest is home to such a diversity of opinions that I felt not only welcomed but encouraged to challenge ideas and question the status quo,” said Leadham. “As a debater, I have been trained to wrestle with burning questions and test policy solutions. Now, I am trying to find a way to translate the intellectual labor of debate into practical solutions.”
Passionate about criminal justice reform and reframing safety and accountability issues, Leadham plans to pursue both a master’s degree in human rights studies and a JD in public interest law to advocate for the rights of those belonging to vulnerable populations.
“Eli insists on making space for marginalized voices and critical perspectives in every academic and activist space, both in debate and in the broader community,” said John Kevin Medica Director of Debate and Professor of Communication Jarrod Atchison.
For Leadham, the child of an immigrant mother, the Truman “is a way to reclaim agency in spaces that I had been denied access to and is a reminder of the responsibility we have to leverage our institutional resources to support those who are never granted a seat at the table.”
The on-campus preparation and nomination process for the Truman Scholarship and other external scholarships is coordinated through the Wake Forest University Scholars Office and led by Brown. Interested students are invited to visit the website to learn more and arrange an appointment, and rising juniors should signal their interest over the summer months or immediately upon returning to campus in the fall.
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