Virginia Military Institute cadet Syed Eshan Shah ’27, a history major from Clarksville, Md., is a finalist for a Harry S. Truman Schola r sh ip Fo u n d a t io n scholarship. He is one of 781 students who applied for the prestigious scholarship.
Part of the comprehensive application process was a 15-page submission. A large portion of that was a policy proposal required by all the candidates. Shah, who is particularly interested in how policy influences social changes by studying post-9/11 Islamophobia, wrote his proposal on integrating accurate cultural knowledge into government policy decisionmaking.
“In the eyes of some Americans, the actions of a radical minority are synonymous with an entire religion,” he said. “I believe studying and understanding different cultures before engaging in international relations, economic sanctions, or military action helps both sides of a conflict by unifying diverse communities, preventing major missteps, and ultimately saving lives.”
Lt. Col. Mark Boonshoft, associate professor in the Department of History and holder of the Conrad M. Hall ’65 Chair in American Constitutional History at VMI, said Shah is among the best students he has ever encountered. “More importantly, he is the most impressive young person I have known, largely because of his drive to public service.”
“My initial thought before I even applied was, ‘VMI is public service,’” said Shah. “Whether or not cadets commission, we are all taught to be citizen-soldiers possessing a high sense of public service. It’s part of VMI’s mission statement. I wasn’t only thinking about me receiving the scholarship distinction when I applied. I was also considering the privilege of representing the Institute. I truly love this place, and have ever since I first came. It would have been such a huge honor to be the first cadet in history to receive the Truman Scholarship, but becoming a finalist is an honor too.”
