KU student finalist for Truman scholarship

LAWRENCE —  A University of Kansas junior and University Honors student from Olathe is a finalist for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship.

DaNae Estabine is majoring in psychology and minoring in philosophy. She will participate in an interview for the scholarship at the end of March in Kansas City. Final scholarship selections will be made in mid-April.

The prestigious national awards provide up to $30,000 for graduate study. The awards are given to college juniors for leadership in public service. They are highly competitive, with only about 60 Truman Scholars named nationwide each year.

This year, the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation selected 191 finalists from 132 institutions to interview for the scholarship awards. The foundation received 709 applications from 285 institutions to determine the finalists.

The campus nomination process is coordinated by the Office of Fellowships, a unit of Academic Success. Students interested in applying for the Truman Scholarship in future years are encouraged to contact the office, which can nominate a limited number of students each year. The next application cycle will begin in fall 2024.

Since 1981, 20 KU students have become Truman scholars. Samuel Steuart was the most recent KU student to receive the honor in 2019.

More information about KU’s Truman finalist is below.

DaNae Estabine is the daughter of Jean and Kristy Estabine and a graduate of Olathe East High School. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology and minoring in philosophy with plans to earn a juris doctor and doctorate in psychology and becoming a prosecutor in the state of Kansas. Estabine was named to the Multicultural Scholars Program as a sophomore and was selected for KU's Legal Education Accelerated Degree program. Her freshman year, she served as a senator in KU's Student Senate, held the government relations director position as a sophomore and currently is the student body vice president. In summer 2023, Estabine interned for U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, and she now interns in the Statehouse for Kansas State Rep. Barbara Ballard. Outside of KU, Estabine volunteers her time as the director of the Johnson County Fair Pie Contest, an Olathe Fishing Derby board member and a Lawrence Mothers of Pre-Schoolers volunteer. Additionally, she is a substitute teacher in the Lawrence School District and was recently selected as KU’s 2024 Newman Civic Fellowship nominee.