By Kristin Janka
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Third-year students Kaylin Casper and Isabelle Radakovich are Michigan State University’s finalists for the nationally competitive Truman Scholarship.
The Truman Scholarship, sponsored by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, recognizes students with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to affecting change through public service. It provides financial support for graduate study and leadership training for approximately 62 students nationally. Awardees will be announced in the coming months.
Kaylin Casper: From student leader to Truman finalist
Casper is a third-year Honors College student double-majoring in Sociology through the College of Social Science and Humanities Pre-Law in the College of Arts and Letters. She is also pursuing a minor in American Indian and Indigenous Studies, and a second minor in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Sexuality Studies – both through the College of Arts and Letters.
Casper is a member of the Social Science Scholars Program and holds multiple leadership positions at MSU, including serving as a general assembly representative for the Associated Students of MSU (ASMSU), a board member for the North American Indigenous Student Organization, and a member of the Land Acknowledgement Plaque Committee.
Casper is a Udall Scholar, having previously earned a competitive national scholarship for future leaders in environmental, Tribal public policy, and health care fields. She is a direct descendant of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and attended John Burroughs High School in Burbank, Calif.
Isabelle Radakovich: A multi-faceted Truman finalist
Radakovich is a third-year Honors College student majoring in International Relations, as well as Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy in James Madison College. She is pursuing a third major in French through the College of Arts and Letters, along with a minor in European Studies.
Radakovich received the STARR Charitable Foundation Scholarship and was part of the MSU Women’s Rowing Team for over two years. In addition to studying abroad in Costa Rica and France, she has presented research on food insecurity at the University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum and is currently completing a senior honors thesis on private military companies in intrastate conflicts.
Radakovich has numerous leadership roles with MSU campus organizations, including policy committee chair for ASMSU, ASMSU representative to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and MSU’s Athletic Council, and senator for James Madison College’s Student Senate.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors and organizing Dungeons and Dragons games for other players. Radakovich attended Cody High School and is from Cody, Wyo.
Please contact Melanie Brender at brenderm@msu.edu for media inquiries on this story.