Alfred Delena ’15 wins Truman Scholarship

Alfred Delena ’15 won a Truman Scholarship (Courtesy of Alfred Delena).

Alfred Delena ’15 was selected as a 2015 Truman Scholar. Delena represents both Stanford and the state of New Mexico in the 2015 cohort of scholars.

The Truman Scholarship honors exceptional undergraduate students interested in careers in government and public service. Following graduation, Delena plans on studying at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and eventually working to improve educational outcomes for Native American students.

“I am deeply humbled and very honored to have been selected as a 2015 Truman Scholar from New Mexico and Stanford University,” Delena wrote in an email to The Daily. “But this award is not for me alone. It is for the many incredible people who I have had the gratitude of meeting that have helped me reach this point in my life.”

“This is for my advisors, my mentors, my professors and my friends: thank you all for your support, guidance and wisdom,” he added. “In addition, I dedicate this success to the two most important people in my life: my parents, Vanessa and Larry Delena, both of whom have been my foundation, my inspiration, my role models and my personal heroes.”

Delena, a human biology major, is active in the ASSU’s Emotional Well Being Action committee and “I Thrive at Stanford.” Delena is also a course instructor who teaches incoming freshmen about the science of happiness.

58 students were selected as Truman Scholars this year from a pool of 688 nominees. The scholars receive up to $30,000 to pursue graduate studies, along with internship opportunities with the U.S. government.

Contact Michael Gioia at mgioia2 ‘at’ stanford.edu.