Fordham junior Laura Rosado Philippi has been chosen for a Truman Scholarship, the nation’s most prestigious award for students preparing for careers in public service. She is one of 54 student leaders selected this year from among 743 nominees for the scholarship, which provides funding for graduate study as well as other opportunities like leadership training and fellowships within the federal government.
Describing her reaction to the award, Rosado Philippi said she was overwhelmed. “It’s really indescribable, the feeling,” said Rosado Philippi, who is aiming for a career in mental health services.
“It was so important to me” to apply for the award, she said, “because it aims to create future leaders of public service, and that’s exactly what I want to be.”
Rosado Philippi received the news directly from Fordham’s president, Tania Tetlow, who was a Truman Scholar herself. “You make Fordham so proud,” Tetlow said in a Zoom call with Rosado Philippi, who is spending this semester in Spain with the Fordham in Granada program.
A Vision for Impact
Rosado Philippi plans to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology and go into practice in her native Puerto Rico. She hopes to eventually move into government and enhance mental health services there, guided by a policy proposal she submitted as part of her Truman application.
“Her drive and passion for this goal were inspiring,” said Marisa Iglesias, associate director of Fordham’s Office of Fellowship Advising, which supported Rosado Philippi in her application.
“Laura’s vision really has potential for major impact, and that is the sign of a Truman Scholar.”
Iglesias and others in the fellowships office were proud and excited to learn of the award. “We may have jumped up and down a little bit,” she said.
Fordham is one of 49 colleges and universities nationwide to have a Truman Scholarship recipient this year, out of 288 that nominated students. This is the University’s second Truman award award in three years. The scholarship has “one of the more challenging applications,” in light of the vision and multiyear plan for making an impact that it requires students to provide, Iglesias said.
Fighting the Stigma
Rosado Philippi is pursuing a double major in psychology and anthropology at Fordham College at Rose Hill, with a minor in American Catholic studies. She became interested in psychology during her childhood in Puerto Rico, in part because of the distress she witnessed after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island in 2017—as well as the cultural barriers to seeking mental health support.
“The island has been through so much, people have been through so much,” she said. “You would see a lot of people kind of struggling and just … disregarding any issues they had just because they just didn’t want to admit something. There’s this big stigmatization around mental health, and it always didn’t really sit right with me.”
Life-Changing Scholarships
This is the second time a scholarship has changed Rosado Philippi’s life. She received the full-tuition Fordham Scholarship to attend the University, which she called “the best decision I ever made” because of the friendships and opportunities she has found.
She found many avenues for pursuing her interest in mental health: As an intern in Fordham’s Counseling and Psychological Services office, she developed an online hub that, when it goes live, will connect students with all sorts of wellness activities, from art therapy to yoga and more.
She also volunteered with a Bronx civic organization for women, Grupo De Mujeres Latinas, and co-founded the University’s Puerto Rican Student Association, among other extracurriculars.
‘I Already Won’
Applying for the Truman Scholarship was meaningful because of how it required her to reflect on her purpose and talk with people who helped her refine her goals. At the time, she felt that “I already won” because of that, regardless of whether she received the scholarship, she said.
Iglesias said Rosado Philippi is at the start of a highly promising career. “Her policy proposal has real vision and real potential for change, and she’s just getting started.”
