Colorado State University undergraduates Alex Diggs and Reaghan Fields are finalists for the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship, a highly competitive graduate fellowship program for students pursuing careers in government and public service.
Diggs, a senior in the College of Health and Human Sciences, and Fields, a junior in the College of Liberal Arts, are among a select few to be in the running for the honor. The award includes a $30,000 scholarship to a graduate school of their choice as well as a weeklong leadership training session with other winners and an internship opportunity in Washington, D.C.
The Truman Foundation’s Finalist Selection Committee selected 191 students from 136 institutions. Since 2015, 22 CSU students have been named finalists, five of whom were named scholars, according to The Institute for Learning and Teaching’s Office for Scholarship and Fellowship Advising.
The Truman Scholars will be announced in April following finalist interviews with the Truman Foundation’s Regional Review Panels. CSU is the only institution in the state with multiple finalists interviewing in the Denver Regional Review Panel.
Alex Diggs
Diggs, who is pursuing a degree in the School of Social Work, has been an advocate for students experiencing marginalization. He has been an active member of both CSU’s Black/African American Cultural Center and the Pride Resource Center and is a member of the Committee for Social Justice, within the School of Social Work.
Diggs said his passion for advocacy extends beyond CSU, explaining that it started at home through his family of trailblazers and advocates. His great-grandfather is a Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame inductee for his work creating community initiatives. His great-grandfather’s grandfather was the first licensed Black dentist in Colorado. His mother has done work as an advocate and program manager at a youth-serving nonprofit. His father is a leader who approaches problems through a lens of equity and guidance. His siblings conduct activism through political and social action.
“A long line of different thinkers and activists have come before me; I have seen and experienced the two-steps-forward, one-step-back manner in which change flows,” Diggs said. “My hope is that becoming a Truman Scholar would further equip me to take this torch of change and to use it.”
Diggs has served as a youth advocacy assistant for the Colorado Health Network, a nonprofit that serves individuals with HIV/AIDS. There, he established a social media campaign, #Unfiltered on the Street, as an opportunity to address common misconceptions about sexual health.
Following graduation, Diggs hopes to pursue a career in which he can address discrimination, working with policymakers and legislators to practically address systematic discrimination in queer and disabled communities as well as working with members of those communities to foster a sense of belonging.
“Being named a Truman Finalist is a recognition of demonstrated dedication to public service and excellence,” Diggs said. “The experience up to this point has taught me much about myself, and I know whether or not I receive the award, I have gained important tools and experience in the process. It is an incredible opportunity and a step towards academic and professional success. I am very thankful for this acknowledgment, and so excited for what’s to come.”
Reaghan Fields
Fields is working on a degree in international studies, with an interest in climate change, environmental justice and sustainability.
At CSU, Fields is director of the School of Global Environmental Sustainability’s Student Sustainability Center, which serves as the center of the campus’ constellation of student-led sustainability work. For SSC, Fields spearheads regular clean-ups throughout Fort Collins and also runs workshops and collaborates with other student organizations.
Previously, she also was an ambassador for Defend our Future, a nonprofit that engages and mobilizes young people to advocate for solutions to the climate crisis. There, she
held office visits with Colorado legislators, such as U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper.
“Being named a Truman Scholar Finalist is an incredible honor,” she said. “It is a privilege to have been provided with this opportunity to expand and grow my thinking. I am excited to have the potential ability to continue my efforts in sustainability and have the resources needed to continue my passion. This experience has been truly incredible, and I cannot wait to see where this takes me next within the realm of community service.”
Additionally, Fields has a deep passion for environmental activism, which has led her to dream big and pursue a career where she can work toward a more environmentally just world.
“When I first got to CSU, I knew I wanted to be involved in change on campus and in the community,” she said. “I was introduced to the world of sustainability through the lens of intersectionality and was able to fully grasp the importance of sustainability not only for the environment but for people as well.
About the Truman Scholarship
The Truman Scholarship is the country’s premier graduate fellowship for those pursuing careers as public service leaders. The program is administered by the Truman Foundation, a living memorial to the nation’s 33rd president created by Congress in 1975.
There have been 3,322 Truman Scholars selected since the first awards in 1977. Prominent Truman Scholars include U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (1983), Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch (1987) and former National Security Advisor Susan Rice (1984).
Sophomores interested in applying for the Truman Scholarship should contact Mary Swanson, program director of the Office for Scholarship and Fellowship Advising, at mary.swanson@colostate.edu.
