Fil-Am mayor of San Diego confirmed by US Senate to serve on scholarship foundation

SAN DIEGO — The United States Senate has unanimously confirmed Mayor Todd Gloria to serve on The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees. The Mayor was nominated by President Joe Biden earlier this year.

“I am deeply grateful to President Biden for the appointment and to the United States Senate for their unanimous confirmation today,” said Mayor Todd Gloria, in a statement released on Thursday.

It was a full circle moment for San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who was a Truman Scholar while he was a student at the University of San Diego. Photo from Todd Gloria/Facebook

“I was selected as a Truman Scholar while I was a student at the University of San Diego in 1999, and it set me on a path to a career in public service.”

Gloria said he looks forward to working with his fellow trustees to “empower America’s next generation of public servants and celebrate the legacy of President Truman.”  

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship is a federally funded scholarship program that awards up to $30,000 to students who demonstrate leadership potential, academic excellence and a commitment to public service.

Created by Congress in 1975 as the official federal memorial to President Truman, the scholarship is a highly competitive award, with only about 60 students selected each year.

To be eligible for the Truman Scholarship, students must be US citizens or nationals who are currently enrolled in their second to last year of undergraduate study at a US college or university and must have a GPA of at least 3.5 and be majoring in a field likely to lead to a career in public service. 

The board, which is composed of 19 members, is chaired by former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and includes Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, US Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Brian Schatz (D-HI); House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX); and Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ).   

“This week the Senate confirmed my nomination by President Biden to serve on the board of the Truman Foundation, the official memorial to our 33rd president that awards highly competitive scholarships to students seeking a career in public service,” Gloria said in a Facebook post.

“This is an amazing full circle moment and an awesome opportunity to help shape the next generation of public sector leaders.”

More information about the scholarship program is available here.