UCI student receives Truman Scholarship

A UC Irvine senior was recently selected as a 2012 Truman Scholar and will receive a $30,000 award for public service.

Felipe Hernandez, a music performance and political science major, was one of 54 students nationally selected for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship for his work with the Orange County United Way and for founding his own nonprofit, Mentors Empowering & Nurturing through Education.

The organization, for which Hernandez also serves as executive director, connects “low-income, first-generation minorities with college-student mentors who help them prepare for education beyond high school and stimulate civic engagement, analytical thinking and leadership development,” according to a press release from UCI.

He started the nonprofit in 2010 and leads 14 board members and 45 volunteers who work with two Los Angeles area high schools.

Hernandez is UCI’s seventh Truman Scholarship recipient.

— Britney Barnes

Twitter: @britneyjbarnes