Lexi Raikes

Junior Lexi Raikes won Kentucky’s only Harry S. Truman Scholarship for 2021.

The award, valued at $30,000, is given to just 62 U.S. college students annually. It is the premier graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the United States. Lexi plans to use the scholarship toward her goal of attending Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., to earn a law degree and a Master’s of Science in Georgetown’s Addiction Policy and Practice program.

“Receiving the Truman Scholarship has felt like a confirmation of all my hard work in my time here at UofL, and it has given me a sense of confidence in my ability to lead and shape the world into the better place"

Lexi will graduate in May 2022 with bachelor's degrees in political science, English and French. She is a Brown Fellow.

Inspiration:

Dr. Neeli Bendapudi, president of UofL, "who has helped me grow into a better leader;" Andrew Grubb and Dr. Pamela Yankeelov, Kent School of Social Work professor, of the Brown Fellows; Drs. Julie Bunck and Michael Fowler, political science professors; Dr. Thomas Mackey, history professor; mentor Keturah Herron; Drs. Bethany Smith and Charlie Leonard, who oversee national and international scholarships at UofL; and "every single professor I have been so lucky to have in my time here at UofL, as they have all helped me grow into a better student and a better person."

Hometown:

Campbellsville, KY

High School:

Taylor County High School (2018)

Parents:

Tiffany Cornish, Jeremy Cornish and Bryan Raikes, Campbellsville, KY