One student is fighting for civil rights via economic justice. Another wants to change the face of foreign policy.
And now both have the support of the prestigious Truman Scholarship - awarded to juniors who show leadership potential and are committed to careers in public service - to help them realize their aspirations.
College juniors Hayling Price and Daniel Tavana will receive up to $30,000 to pursue graduate degrees in government, education and advocacy sectors.
"The Truman Scholarship was the best way to put myself in a position where I could really change something," said Tavana, who plans to pursue a law degree and a masters in public policy.
He said his motivation to work in government stems from a sense that foreign policy isn't working.
His interest is also fueled by an internship in the House Armed Services Committee and his experience as a part-Muslim and part-Jewish student who observed 9/11 and the Iraq War.
Though Price, who is interested in the politics of economic development, does not know exactly what he will do after law school, he said, "Since getting the award, I've definitely started to think bigger."
He worked with the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, which sustains economic revitalization, and mobilized the Penn Student Labor Action Project in response to labor-rights violations facing security guards. In Ghana, he also studied the politics of economic development in underdeveloped nations.
"The designation will open a lot of doors," he said.
Price said the phone call from Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships interim director Harriet Joseph telling him he won was a "surreal moment."
"I believed in myself, but knew I was facing very qualified candidates," he said.
Sixty-five students from 55 colleges were selected from a pool of 595 candidates.
The process began this fall, when students secured institutional endorsement. Finalists were interviewed and winners were announced Monday.
Joseph commended the "two incredibly talented future public leaders" and congratulated Price as the first African American to win this award.
The students thanked CURF and Joseph for their assistance. "We couldn't have done it without her," Prince said.
Tavana added that the award is a positive step for Penn, which had no recipients last year.
"There's a lot of pressure to attend On Campus Recruiting and go to Wall Street, but not a lot of people are advocating going into public service," he said. "Hopefully in the future, Penn can start having a bigger impact."
