The prestigious Louis DeJoy and Aldona Z. Woś Family Foundation Scholarship has been awarded to three new students in 2023: Peace Ajirotutu, Amanda Clark, and Anders Jensen.
Established in 2017 through a generous $1 million gift by Louis DeJoy and Amb. Aldona Woś, this scholarship will be available to exemplary IWP students up to 2027. The Louis DeJoy and Aldona Z. Woś Family Foundation Scholarship provides up to full tuition per semester for recent college graduates who demonstrate significant academic, professional, or personal achievement, as well as a history of leadership and an overall potential to succeed in IWP’s rigorous course of study.
In the past six years, 20 IWP students have received the scholarship. The inaugural recipients of the award were Helen Lamm and Isaac Brocato in 2017. The following year, Emily, Gabrielle, Jennifer, and Christopher were awarded the scholarship. In 2019, Braeden, Don, and Sarah earned the scholarship. In 2020, Holt and Parker received the scholarship. The 2021 recipients were Francisco Pérez, Angelica, and Matthew, and the 2022 recipients were Ashton Earl, Robert Bankowski, and Jacob Bosen.
More details about this year’s recipients are as follows:
Peace Ajirotutu
Awarded $50,000
“I would like to extend my warmest gratitude to Ambassador Woś and Mr. Dejoy for providing me with this amazing scholarship! I am forever grateful to receive such an honor and am excited to use my education at the IWP for the greater good of our society.”
Peace Ajirotutu comes to IWP from North Carolina. Earlier this year, she obtained her B.A. in Political Science with a double minor in History and Asian Studies from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. She has always had a keen interest in politics and helping others. Through her internships with the Dan McCready for Congress campaign and time in the North Carolina General Assembly, she decided to pursue a career path in D.C. At IWP, she will pursue a Master of Arts in Statecraft and International Affairs. Peace is very interested in public diplomacy and conflict management; she plans to focus her degree on the regional area of Asia. While at the IWP, she hopes to be a part of the growth of the China/Asia program. During her undergraduate studies, Peace did extensive research on Chinese entertainment and politics. Thus, she hopes to use her master’s degree to further understand Sino-U.S. relations and improve them.
Amanda Clark
Awarded $50,000
“Mr. DeJoy and Ambassador Woś’s donation to the Institute is an honor I will never take lightly. To honor this scholarship, and to continue to express my gratitude, I will utilize my resources and education to their fullest extent in hopes of joining many others whose work is critical to our nation’s security and successes. I appreciate Mr. DeJoy and the Ambassador’s donation and confidence in the Institute and myself.”
Amanda is originally from Utah and recently graduated from Utah Valley University with a Bachelor’s in National Security Studies. She has been a collegiate athlete, spent a semester working on Capitol Hill as a Congressional Intern, and worked as a Student Cooperative with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General in the Office of Investigations. She looks forward to her time at IWP and says, “I cannot wait for the experiences and challenges in my future and welcome them with open arms!”
Anders Jensen
Awarded $25,000
“I would like to wholeheartedly thank Ambassador Woś and Mr. DeJoy for their generous contribution to my graduate education. Without it, I would not be able to obtain my postgraduate degree and support my newborn son. I know how precious money is in the current economy, and their willingness to contribute so much highlights who they are and what they value as people.”
Anders is from Utah and is coming to The Institute of World Politics to study Statecraft and International Affairs. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 2023 with a double major in Political Science with an emphasis in International Strategy and Diplomacy and German Studies. Aside from his love for soccer, Anders enjoys learning about government institutions and international cultures and how both interact to affect policy and leadership in foreign countries across the world. Anders has also spent a great deal of time in Austria where he contributed to a project assessing employment needs versus available skills in Austria and the EU, particularly among refugees and migrants.
IWP is grateful for this scholarship and for all the contributions of The Louis DeJoy and Aldona Z. Woś Family Foundation.