Rhodes College is pleased to announce that two juniors have been selected as finalists for the highly esteemed Truman Scholarship. Johnathan Burch, a political science major from Charlotte, NC, and Mitchell Leander, an urban studies major from Nashville, TN, were selected from among hundreds of applicants nationally to interview this March in Atlanta, GA, and Nashville. Winners will be announced in April.
The Truman Scholarship Foundation was established by Congress in 1975 as a federal memorial to the 33rd president, Harry S. Truman. It provides generous financial support for graduate study in preparation for careers in government, public service, the nonprofit sector, or education. Students are nominated by their institution based on their leadership, public service, and academic achievement.
Burch came to Rhodes as a Posse Foundation Scholar dedicated to developing his leadership skills. He currently serves as president of the Rhodes Student Government and is a competitor on one of Rhodes’ national mock trial teams. Additionally, he has worked as a Rhodes Diplomat, Peer Assistant, and an Office of Admission student associate. Outside of campus, Burch worked as a clinical quality improvement intern at Church Health, which allowed him to connect with the Memphis community and serve the uninsured. As a 2025 Douglass-O'Connell Global Intern, he gained experience working for the Irish Innocence Project in Dublin, Ireland, conducting legal and comparative constitutional research.
Leander’s work at Rhodes connects campus leadership with community-based justice efforts across Memphis. He currently serves as co-president of Just City Advocates and as chair of the Memphis City Mayor’s Youth Council. Leander also works as the courtwatch coordinator for Just City and has taught trial advocacy alongside both Rhodes College and Stanford Law School faculty. On campus, he serves as a mock trial team captain, volunteers as a peer tutor with the Liberal Arts in Prison Program, and works as a fellow with the Mike Curb Institute for Music.