KU announces 2025 Truman scholarship nominees

LAWRENCE — Two outstanding students have been selected as the University of Kansas nominees for Harry S. Truman Scholarships.

The prestigious national awards, which provide up to $30,000 for graduate study, 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’s KU nominees:

• Komalpreet Kaur, a junior in political science minoring in intelligence and national security studies with a certificate in data science.
• Allison Muzzy, a junior in journalism & mass communications with a concentration in multimedia journalism and political science minoring in public policy and East Asian languages & cultures.

Criteria for the nominations include an extensive record of campus and community service, commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit and advocacy sectors, demonstrated communication skills, a high probability of becoming a "change agent" and a strong academic record with likely acceptance to the graduate school of the candidate’s choice.

The campus nomination process is coordinated by the Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships (CURF), a unit of Academic Affairs – Undergraduate Education. Students interested in applying for the Truman scholarship in future years are encouraged to contact CURF (curf@ku.edu), which can nominate a limited number of students each year. The next application cycle will begin in fall 2025.

Scholars receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some premier graduate institutions, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government.

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

Congress established the Truman Scholarship Foundation in 1975 as the federal memorial to President Harry S. Truman. A national selection committee reviews applications from more than 800 nominees for the Truman Foundation. Approximately 200 students will be named finalists in late February and be invited to participate in regional interviews in March and early April. The scholarship recipients will be announced in late April.   

More information about KU’s nominees:   

Komalpreet Kaur

Kaur, from Flushing, New York, is the daughter of Jasvir Kaur and Narinder Singh and a graduate of Olathe East High School. She is pursuing a degree in political science minoring in intelligence and national security studies with a certificate in data science. After graduation, Kaur plans to attend law school to further her commitment to advocating for immigrant communities. Her journey as a leader is deeply rooted in her family's immigration story from Punjab, India, to the U.S. in the late 1980s, which inspires her mission to foster inclusion and empower others. She is the founder and executive director of Eye of an Immigrant (EOAI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to elevating immigrant voices, funding pathways to citizenship and fostering a welcoming community. Through EOAI, she launched initiatives such as the "From Home to Here" podcast, sharing immigrant stories and providing resources for legal pathways to citizenship. Kaur serves as a public speaker through Komal Kaur LLC, delivering talks on immigration, youth advocacy and social justice. She has interned for the city of Olathe, the office of Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and political campaigns, including Mike Kelly for Johnson County Chair. Her work has earned her recognition as the youngest United Community Services Johnson County Citizen of the Year and a Kansas Next Gen 30 Under 30 honoree. 

Allison Muzzy 

Muzzy, from Leavenworth, is the daughter of Patrick and Sheri Muzzy and a graduate of Lansing High School. She is pursuing degrees in journalism & mass communications with a concentration in multimedia journalism and political science, with minors in public policy and East Asian languages & cultures. Upon graduation, Muzzy will pursue a doctorate in political science, focusing on public policy to venture into a career as a policy analyst and, eventually, a professor. She works at Watson Library as a student cataloger and in the Department of Communication Studies as an undergraduate research assistant. Muzzy also works as a KU Student Ambassador and is a member of the KU Admissions Community Engagement Initiatives Recruitment Team. She previously served on a School of Journalism faculty search committee and the Provost’s Budget and Tuition Student Advisory Committee. Muzzy was a fall 2024 fellow for the nonprofit Loud Light’s Get Out the Vote campaign and a summer 2024 campaign intern with former Kansas State Rep. Christina Haswood. She received the TRIO Scholar Award, Elizabeth Bowen and Carl Frederic Gustafson Award from the Department of Political Science and the Kansan Above and Beyond Award for her reporting for the University Daily Kansan. She is a Critical Language Scholarship semifinalist, a KU Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship recipient and a member of Phi Kappa Phi. Additionally, Muzzy is a member of the KU Swift Society, Comic Book Club, Asian American Student Union and School of Journalism Diverse Students Association. She also serves on the School of Journalism’s access and belonging committee, is a Mentored Scholars Program participant and is a member of TRIO.