College junior Zach McGrath received the 2026 Harry S. Truman Scholarship for his commitment to public service on April 24.
McGrath, the only Penn honoree, is among 55 Truman scholars selected from a total of 781 candidates this year. The merit-based award funds up to $30,000 for graduate studies in preparation for public service careers.
In an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian, McGrath — who is studying political science — explained that he enjoys public service because “it’s the ultimate team sport.”
“I come from a military family, a military background, so service was always present in my life,” McGrath added. “I grew up really respecting people who dedicated themselves in their careers to public service.”
Congress established the national Truman Foundation in 1975 as a memorial to the 33rd president of the United States. The foundation recognizes juniors who demonstrate “outstanding potential for and who plan to pursue a career in public service” — which can include employment in government, nonprofit work, or the education sector.
McGrath currently serves as director of Philadelphia Councilmember Isaiah Thomas’ Youth-powered Policy Lab — a program that encourages Philadelphia high school and college students to address social issues via research and legislation. He plans to use the award to pursue graduate studies in public policy — after which he hopes to continue working in city government in Philadelphia.
The program only accepts nominations from institutions, not independent students. At Penn, students must submit a scholarship application to the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships by its November deadline to be considered for the nomination.
McGrath emphasized the University’s support, explaining that executive director of CURF Jane Morris “was quite helpful in mentoring me throughout the application process.”
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Morris told the DP that she has “found Zach to be truly committed to a life of public service.”
“He’s out there every day committing himself to this work,” Morris said.
She explained that she “really admires” the Truman scholarship because it “is about supporting young people who are going to be change makers in public service.”
“I look at Penn students, and that’s who I see,” Morris added.
At Penn, McGrath serves as vice chair of the Student Allocations Commission and a research assistant for Laura Perna, the Graduate School of Education’s senior vice provost for faculty.
McGrath explained that he is “excited about the next few years” because the award will enable him “to work with other people who are passionate about making a difference.”
He advised his peers who are interested in public service to “be very comfortable doing things that aren’t typical of an average Penn student.”
“It might seem kind of weird or untraditional at first, but I think if you really trust the process and you do something that you genuinely really enjoy, you’ll get results,” he added.
He was one of three Penn students in the 198 scholarship finalists nationwide — alongside College juniors Shivaek Venkateswaran and Veronica Baladi. McGrath, Penn’s 33rd Truman scholar, joins the University’s most recent honorees — 2025 College and Wharton graduates Aravind Krishnan and Tej Patel — who received the award in 2024.
