Anitvir Taunque, a third-year biomedical science major, is The Ohio State University’s ninth Truman Scholar.
Taunque joins an exclusive group of 60 Truman Scholars. The 2024 cohort was selected from 709 candidates nominated by 285 colleges across the U.S.
Truman Scholars demonstrate outstanding leadership potential, a commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector, and academic excellence. Established by Congress in 1975 as a living memorial to President Harry S. Truman and a national monument to public service, the Truman Scholarship supports the next generation of public service leaders.
“Anitvir has already proven himself as a dedicated scholar, entrepreneur and a committed public servant. He exemplifies the mission of the Truman Foundation – to cultivate the next generation of servant-leaders,” said Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. “On behalf of the university, I congratulate Anitvir for this accomplishment and I look forward to seeing him grow, lead and represent the best of what it means to be a Buckeye.”
“I am so proud of Anitvir and his remarkable accomplishment of earning a Truman Scholarship,” said Karla Zadnik, interim executive vice president and provost. “His achievements in academics, passion for the well-being of others, and commitment to serving the greater good are inspiring qualities that represent the very best of our Ohio State community. He has a bright future, and I wish him continued success.”
Each Truman Scholar receives funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling, and special internship and fellowship opportunities within the federal government.
Taunque said the scholarship interview process helped him focus.
“When we do our interview, they give us a minute at the end to give closing remarks. [I said] that being pre-med and wanting to be a doctor, the focus is so much on what comes next. One of the things that has done for me is it makes it a little harder to focus on what’s happening right now, living in the moment,” he said. “To have this award gives me that opportunity to just sit and think about how fortunate I am to have all these opportunities and how they could potentially fit together in a career as a public servant. It was very refreshing, and I think it refined my vision for the future.”
At Ohio State, Taunque is a Stamps Eminence Scholar, Buckeye Leadership Fellow and student wellness coach. He participated in the undergraduate research apprenticeship program, was a member of a winning team in the President’s Buckeye Accelerator program and volunteers at free clinics in Columbus and Punjab, India.
Taunque was part of the ServUS team in the Buckeye Accelerator program. They created a website for universities to match students to local service organizations. The platform allows students to explore service opportunities, create their own social projects and help local service organizations recruit and manage volunteers.
“It really opened my mind to business entrepreneurship, technology and how you can still use that to address public service,” he said. “There is a misconception. … People think that if you go towards the corporate side, it’s just money making, that’s the priority. But through ServUS, I can say it’s a testament that that is not the case.”
Steven Mousetes, program manager for the biomedical science undergraduate major, is one of Taunque’s mentors and recommended him for the Truman Scholarship.
“As an educator, it’s highly moving and inspirational to see a student from high school as they evolve,” he said. “[Taunque] meets with me regularly. We talk about the things that he’s doing. Sometimes things don’t work out, but he has great coping skills. The thing that I always say in his recommendations is that he seeks advice and then acts on it.”
Taunque said he plans to go to medical school. He said he wants to work as a physician and policy researcher who contributes innovative and intimate solutions to improve health literacy for people of all backgrounds across the U.S.
“I’m going to stick with my passions. I love tech, I love the startup realm. I get the chance to engage with the government and influence policy now, and I think that’s an amazing opportunity,” he said. “I’m going to take that opportunity and keep my options open. But in terms of what I want to do next, I don’t know. But I’m really excited to find out.”