EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Alaskan native and political science major at UTEP Sarah Mickelson has been selected as a 2023 Truman Scholar – a federal government award recognizing aspiring public service leaders in the United States. “This is a wonderful accomplishment that is, as UTEP President Heather Wilson stated, ‘A big deal’ for Sarah and the University.”

Mickelson is earning her bachelor’s degree in political science and is serving as the Attorney General for the Student Government Association. She is also Executive Assistant for IGNITE at UTEP, a group that promotes women’s involvement in law and politics. “Sarah is so deserving of this award because of her vision and hard work,” said Charles Boehmer, Ph.D., associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and UTEP’s Truman Scholarship Representative.

  • UTEP student Sarah Mickelson. Photo: UTEP
  • UTEP President Heather Wilson and faculty surprised Sarah Mickelson with the Truman Scholarship. Photo: UTEP
  • UTEP President HeaUTEP President Heather Wilson and faculty surprised Sarah Mickelson with the Truman Scholarship. Photo: UTEPther Wilson and faculty surprised Sarah Mickelson with a scholarship. Photo: UTEP
  • UTEP PresidentUTEP President Heather Wilson and faculty surprised Sarah Mickelson with the Truman Scholarship. Photo: UTEP Heather Wilson and faculty surprised Sarah Mickelson with a scholarship. Photo: UTEP

Each Truman Scholarship recipient receives funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling and opportunities with the federal government. Congress instituted the program in 1975 in memory of President Harry S. Truman. “I applied for the Truman Scholarship because of its support for individuals like me who are dedicated to public service,” Mickelson said. “By applying, I learned a lot about myself and solidified my decision to serve Alaska as a public defender.”

This is the first Truman Scholar Award given to a UTEP student since 2006, and one of 62 new scholars selected from more than 700 candidates in the U.S.