Ramapo College of New Jersey has reached a historic milestone as Sarah Glisson ‘26 has been named a 2026 Truman Scholar. She is the first student in the college’s history to receive the nation’s premier graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders.
Glisson, a resident of Cinnaminson is one of only 55 scholars selected from a pool of 781 candidates nominated by 305 institutions nationwide. This year, Ramapo College and Princeton University were the only two New Jersey institutions to produce Truman Scholars.
Glisson learned of her selection in dramatic fashion. While presenting her senior research, The Political Framing of Socialized Medicine in America, at the College Honors Symposium, Ramapo College President Cindy Jebb made the surprise announcement during her opening remarks.
“This moment is bigger than me, and it’s bigger than Ramapo College,” Glisson said. “To be Ramapo’s first Truman Scholar is a testament to the way that students are encouraged and supported here on campus.”
Ramapo’s President Jebb praised Glisson’s achievement as a result of a learning environment defined by individualized faculty mentorship and sustained leadership development.
A Political Science major with a minor in Public Policy, Glisson will graduate summa cum laude on May 14 and serve as the student speaker at Commencement at the Prudential Center.
Glisson’s Truman-winning proposal and senior research focused on health care access. Driven by personal experiences, she investigated how media framing affects public attitudes toward healthcare reform.
Meanwhile, Princeton University junior Quentin Colón Roosevelt, a member of the Class of 2027 is the only other New Jersey student recipient of the Truman Scholar. Colón Roosevelt intends to utilize the prestigious scholarship to pursue a dual MPA/J.D. degree. His long-term career goals focus on public service and advocacy, specifically targeting legislative and administrative reforms in housing, land-use policy, and urban planning within the New York or Washington, D.C. areas.
Established by Congress in 1975 as a memorial to President Harry S. Truman, the scholarship provides funding for graduate study, leadership training, and federal internship opportunities. Glisson joins a community of only 3,673 scholars named since the program’s inception in 1977.
