For GW Truman Scholar, Public Service Means Opening Doors

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George Washington University junior Bryson Handy has always loved learning history. What continues to amaze him most are the people throughout the years who created lasting change by improving people's lives.

To him, that is what public service is about.

"It's the idea that you are going into a career not to enrich yourself or to enrich someone else, but to improve the lives of Americans and citizens all around the world," said Handy.

That desire to create change on a larger scale has motivated nearly everything he has done since high school, including his decision to study international affairs and economics at the Elliott School of International Affairs.

It is also what led him to become the recipient of the prestigious Truman Scholarship, one of the nation's top honors for students pursuing careers in public service. Awarded to 55 exceptional college students out of 781 applicants in 2026, the Scholarship was created by Congress in 1975 to be the nation's living memorial to the 33rd president.

Handy spent years working to grow his experience and commitment to public service. From contributing to student think tanks by writing about public policy, interning at places like the Department of the Treasury and tutoring students, encouraging them to believe in their dreams.

His passion for his public service stems from his desire to help create a more equitable world.

"I think about my own family's history," Handy said.

His mom is an immigrant from Jamaica who built a new life in New York. His dad grew up in northwest Mississippi in the segregated South, attending a segregated school until he was in the third grade.

They went through a lot of adversity in their lives-racial violence and hatred that no one should have to experience, and discriminatory policies that closed many doors to them.

That lack of opportunity has always struck Handy.

"Considering that legacy, that the people before me, my parents, my grandparents, faced so many constraints, no one should have to face that," Handy said. "I want to help remove constraints for every person across the world so that we can have that freedom of choice, the freedom to pursue what we actually want and simply enjoy life to its fullest."

Those stories from his parents' early years inspired his commitment to creating a more equitable world.

And it's his parents' enduring spirit of grit and perseverance that lets him know it's possible.

"Even though they faced all this prejudice and oppression, they didn't come out of it with a hate in their hearts," Handy said. "They're like my grandparents, especially in their faith. They don't believe hate is going to make the world any better."

And in striving towards a better future, Handy has dedicated countless hours towards giving back. During his time at GW, he has served at places such as The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change and Onero Institute while also holding internships with the Brookings Institute and Council on Foreign Relations. Handy is also a POSSE Scholar at GW.

It's in those moments, when he's working in the community or tutoring students and sees the spark on their faces as something finally clicks, that he's reminded even small acts by one person can create change in the world.

"Once they actually get it, learn something new, it unlocks not only job opportunities, but other classes that they can take. It unlocks a whole new world that was once closed off to them. Education, knowledge is powerful," Handy said. "You just see a light turn on and to see someone really like discover what they love and then be able to pursue it, it goes back to why I'm interested in public service. The idea is to give people those opportunities."

What he's most excited about is the mentorship and network that comes with being a Truman Scholar because it will open doors that'll allow him to continue this work as a career.

After he graduates from GW next May, he'll be placed at an internship in a public service role within the government or other public-service-focused organizations.

"That support will be invaluable," Handy said

This opportunity marks a culmination of a year's worth of work. It was about this time last year when he reached out to Jacob English, the director of The Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research at GW to begin the rigorous application process. The center supports students and alumni pursuing national awards and research opportunities.

Handy said he's grateful for the support he's received at GW through this process, including from Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Colette Coleman. She encouraged him to apply when he was feeling doubtful.

"She basically told me, what's the harm? If you don't get it, you tried, but if you do, it could really change your life," he said.

As he looks towards the future, he's focused on making the most of this opportunity to build a career in public service that will help others access paths that once felt out of reach.