Ole Miss Junior Named Truman Scholar

Boyce surprised the junior with the news on April 10. Unbeknownst to Ware, her mother, father and younger brother, who traveled from their hometown of Madison, were waiting in Boyce's office.

"You have so much to be proud of," Boyce told Dr. Terrance Ware and Zandrea Ware, Yasmine's parents. "You have an amazing daughter."

Winners were formally announced today (April 18) by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. Established as a tribute to the 33rd U.S. president, the foundation awards merit-based scholarships annually to students dedicated to careers in government or public service.

Aside from Boyce and her family, Whitney Dedmon-Woods, assistant director of the Office of National Scholarship Advisement; Fred Slabach, dean of the School of Law and Mississippi's first Truman Scholar; and Christian Boudreaux, the university's 2024 Truman Scholar, all came to the chancellor's office to support Ware.

"I don't know what to say," Yasmine Ware said, wiping tears from her eyes. "Thank you so much to all of you. This has been a stressful process, but in such a wonderful and rewarding way.

"I couldn't have done it without you. I cannot overstate how much this means to me."

Ware is an interdisciplinary studies major with concentrations in international studies, Chinese and global security. Over the last three years, she has interned in Congress, studied abroad with the United Nations and researched Japanese heritage in Kyoto, Japan.

She was awarded as a Model United Nations delegate at international conferences in New York City and Washington, D.C.

On campus, the Stamps Scholar serves as president of the Undergraduate Black Law Student Association, served in the Associated Student Body president's cabinet and is one of 30 students chosen campuswide to in the Columns Society. She's also served on the senate of both ASB and the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.

Through her studies and extracurriculars, the Madison native has focused on elevating the stories of others.

Ware produces an award-winning podcast, "Yasmine's Warehouse" and through this role was invited to the White House as Press and won The New York Times' Fourth Annual Student Podcast Contest.

She is also the inaugural recipient of the James H. Meredith Community Transformation Award, which helped fund her documentary, "The Mound Bayou Memoirs," telling the story of one of America's first all-African American towns.

"Those experiences combined really inspired me to want to work in the security sector, but specifically finding ways to tell stories as well," she said. "I see myself eventually working for the United Nations, specifically UNESCO, so that we can work to secure peace and build peace using cultural heritage as an avenue."

Ware was selected among 700 applicants nationwide for the scholarship. She will receive up to $30,000 toward completing her graduate degree and will gain access to internship and employment opportunities in the federal government.

She plans to use her Truman Scholarship to apply to Harvard Law School with a goal of earning her Juris Doctor and a master's degree in public administration and international development. Ware was got a firsthand look at to Harvard's legal programs after presenting her research at the law school in November.

"They have the Mississippi Delta Project, which means I'd be able to do pro bono work in the Delta," she said. "That's one of the reasons I want to go to law school.

"I'd get a phenomenal education, but I'd also get to give back to the community that has inspired me."

When asked where she got her passion for making change in Mississippi, Yasmine turned her gaze to her parents.

"My parents and my family are my everything," she said, leaning against her brother, Jacob, 11. "From a young age, I knew that Mississippi was my community. I am proud to be a Mississippian.

"Mississippi is filled with people that I love, and I want to give back to them."

Zandrea Ware, a lawyer, traveled with her daughter to Nashville for the final interviews for the scholarship, and both her parents helped her every step of the way, the Ole Miss junior said.

"It's a wonderful feeling to know that the work that she has put in – both during college and before – is being recognized," Zandrea Ware said. "She's always had a strong sense of purpose, an unwavering dedication to service, and the will to commit to meaningful impact as a student leader."

Through whatever comes next, Yasmine said she knows her family will be right there with her.

"The people in this room are always going to be here for you," Boyce said. "Your parents, of course, but also every person here at Ole Miss.

"It doesn't matter where you go; if you need us, we'll be here."

Students interested in applying for a national scholarship should visit the Office of National Scholarship Advisement website or email onsa@olemiss.edu.

Top: Yasmine Ware (second from right) hugs her younger brother, Jacob, during a surprise announcement of the 2025 Harry S. Truman Scholarship awardees at the Lyceum. Ware is the university's 20th Truman scholar. Her parents, Terrance (left) and Zandrea Ware, drove from Madison to surprise her in the chancellor’s office. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services