After Sky Harper, chemistry ’24, was interviewed for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, one two-word question stuck with him.
Why Drexel?
“I thought they asked because the other Arizona finalists went to college in Arizona,” said Harper, who grew up on the Navajo reservation in Ram Pasture, Arizona, before coming to Drexel in Philadelphia in 2019. “Meanwhile, I was on the other side of the country. Maybe their angle was, why would you choose Drexel, a school nobody in Arizona knows much about?”
To answer that, Harper thought back to his junior year of high school when he competed in the International Science and Engineering Fair among more than 2,000 students from over 70 countries. During the special awards ceremony, they showed a video about Drexel University and awarded eight students full scholarships to Drexel. Harper thought he heard “Sky Harbor,” the name of the nearby Phoenix airport, until he saw his name on the screen.
“At that moment I knew I would be going to Drexel,” Harper said. “Based only off my research poster and first impressions, they had essentially said they would fully support me in my undergraduate journey . I have been able to utilize so many of the resources here, and I told my interview panel if I could go back, I would still choose Drexel because of what I’ve been able to accomplish here both in STEM research and in DEI work with Native American students on campus. That’s why I took the chance and decided to go to school across the country. That’s why I chose Drexel.”
Harper just added another rare achievement to his list of accomplishments at Drexel. He was named one of the 2023 Truman Scholars, a highly competitive national fellowship honor given to about 50 students nationwide that grants them $30,000 toward three years of graduate study that leads to a career in public service.
Harper is Drexel’s second-ever student to receive the Truman scholarship, which is one of the most prestigious in the country. He was also a 2022 Goldwater Scholar, which includes STEM students intent on pursuing research-oriented careers, and a 2022 Udall Foundation Scholar, which includes students who are committed to leadership and public service in Native American nations or the environment.
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