Tess Robertson ’25, a junior with a passion for aviation and helping children in the domestic court system, is Longwood University’s 2024 nominee for the highly competitive Harry S. Truman Scholarship.
When Robertson is not in class or developing an aviation program at Longwood, she is often found working with Colonial Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), where she sits on the board. She is currently working on a policy to establish public-private partnerships in the Williamsburg area to offer mentorship, college preparation and career-readiness skills to children in the court system.
I have deep respect for Tess for wanting to make the world a better place and spending time actively working toward that goal.
Lawrence Roberts, director of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership Tweet This
She herself has served in that role for others already. After graduating from the Williamsburg Aviation Scholarship Program (WASP), she became a mentor, working with youth who were training to earn their pilot’s licenses. She also leads fundraising and outreach efforts for that organization.
“Especially influential with other female student pilots, Tess not only encouraged but also empowered them to lead in a field where female pilots are greatly outnumbered,” said Joseph Ritchie Jr., board member and former president of WASP, in a nomination letter to the Truman Foundation. “A proven role model, her support and guidance have been invaluable to many.”
Now she is Longwood’s nominee for the Truman Scholarship, the premier graduate fellowship in the United States for those pursuing careers as public service leaders.
Only 50-60 students across the country annually receive the award, making it one of the most competitive scholarships in the country. Recipients receive significant funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling, and special internship and fellowship opportunities within the federal government.
Robertson is a graduate of the High School Leaders Program at the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, where she first set her sights on public policy and began to dream about a life in public service. Like WASP, she returned to the program as a mentor, working with high schoolers in a leadership role in 2023.
“I have deep respect for Tess for wanting to make the world a better place and spending time actively working toward that goal,” said Lawrence Roberts, director of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, also in a nomination letter to the Truman Foundation. “I have confidence that Tess will pursue a career in government and public service … she has a passion for community service and a heart for instilling positive change.”
Robertson is a double major in business administration (aviation management) and political science (pre-law) and a member of the Cormier Honors College. She is an Honor and Conduct Board member and the outreach coordinator on the Dean’s Advisory Board for Longwood’s College of Business and Economics, in addition to being a soloist in the Camerata Singers, the university’s top choral ensemble. She maintains a 3.96 grade-point average and is planning to pursue a graduate degree in public policy from the College of William and Mary.
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