April 14, 2022
Rosalie Fish, student, athlete and activist, selected as Truman Scholar
2021-22 University of Washington cross country team on September 2, 2021. (Photography by Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures)
Congratulations to junior Rosalie Fish, the University of Washington’s newest Truman Scholar!
Learn more about her and the national, competitive scholarship recognizing student leadership.
UW News announcement
“University of Washington junior Rosalie Fish has been selected for the prestigious Truman Scholarship, the third consecutive year that students from the UW were recognized with this national award.
“A highly competitive award, only 58 students were selected nationwide this year from more than 705 nominations. The Truman Scholarship recognizes aspiring leaders driven to make change at the systems level. Students are selected on the basis of leadership skills, demonstrated civic engagement, academic potential and a desire to pursue a career in public service. Scholars receive up to $30,000 for graduate school, mentoring and additional benefits to help prepare them for careers where they can make an impact.
“Fish, from Auburn, Washington, is a social welfare major in the School of Social Work and she participates in both the UW’s track-and-field and cross-country programs. She’s run a mile in 5 minutes, 2.51 seconds, the 1,500-meter in 4 minutes, 40 seconds and the 5,000 in 17 minutes, 49.91 seconds. A member of the Cowlitz Tribe and a descendant of the Muckleshoot Tribe, Fish dedicates her races to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and has generated national attention by painting a red handprint across her face and the letters “MMIW” on her leg during competition.”
Read the full UW News announcement.
UW Athletics announcement
“SEATTLE — University of Washington track and field junior Rosalie Fish has been selected for the prestigious Truman Scholarship, awarded nationwide to students on the basis of leadership skills, demonstrated civic engagement, academic potential and a desire to pursue a career in public service.
“This is the third consecutive year that students from the UW were recognized with this national award, but the first for a Husky student-athlete.”
Read the full UW Athletics announcement.
UW President Ana Mari Cauce shared the news with Rosalie about her award.
Additional news about and public appearances by Fish
- Rosalie Fish Wants To Be The Face Of Change // The Ringer // July 23, 2021
- Rosalie Fish Is Taking Her Activism For MMIW To The University Of Washington // Runner’s World // Apr. 8, 2021
- For The Missing And Murdered // University of Washington Magazine // Sept. 2021
Campus-wide congratulations for Fish
“We are very proud to see Rosalie’s outstanding leadership and advocacy work recognized by the Truman Foundation. In the classroom, in her community and on the track, she is helping to raise awareness of the plight of missing and murdered Indigenous people, and we know she will continue to do great things with the support of this scholarship.”
— Ana Mari Cauce, UW President
“We could not be more proud of Rosalie for earning this distinguished honor. Rosalie is committed to using her platform as a student-athlete to be a leader and create change. We celebrate her courage and are excited to continue to support her advocacy efforts.”
— Jennifer Cohen, Director of Athletics
“I admire how Rosalie is combining her academic studies and love for competitive running with her passion to advance our knowledge about the plight of missing and murdered Indigenous women. As she has pointed out, in some counties Indigenous women are murdered at a rate more than 10 times the national average – yet most people are unaware of this travesty. We are proud of Rosalie’s leadership and commitment to raising the visibility about this devastating issue and humbled she is majoring in social welfare.”
— Edwina Uehara, Dean of the School of Social Work
“Everyone in our program knew about Rosalie’s cause before she came to campus, but what has been eye-opening for all of us is her personal connection and how much of herself she invests on an everyday basis. Our team aspires to our department’s core values of grit, growth mindset, committed service, and humility, and Rosalie embodies all of those and so many more.”
— Maurica Powell, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
About the Truman application process
The Truman application process is supported by the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards.