Laila Nasher ('25) Named 2024 Truman Scholar

The Department of Anthropology at Harvard University is thrilled to share that Anthropology and History joint concentrator Laila Nasher ('25) was recently awarded a 2024 Harry S. Truman Scholarship. Nasher is among 60 students awarded for their “outstanding leadership potential” and “commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector" and will receive up to $30,000 in funding for graduate studies geared towards work in public service.

Laila shares with us:

I’m incredibly grateful for the support that I’ve received from the anthropology department that made winning this scholarship possible. From Professor Steven Caton writing one of my recommendation letters, to Professor Damina Khaira becoming my academic older sister, to Professor Julia Fierman who’s conversations can last for hours. Now, I’m excited to take this lessons to bridge the gaps between people, policy, and research.

Born in Aden, Yemen, and raised by a single mother in Detroit, Laila is a first-generation student whose experiences push her to fight for impoverished communities like her own. A product of inner-city school closures and child marriage, Laila plans to pursue a JD/PhD to change the social, educational, and legal landscape for Arab and inner-city communities in the U.S. Over the past eight years, Laila has dedicated herself to understanding how education inequity differently impacts disparate communities like her own. A Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, Laila bridges the gap between policy, academia, and people by researching Yemeni-American women, working with local policymakers, mentoring young Detroiters, and working with Yemeni refugees in Jordan and Turkey. Laila runs bazaars for Yemeni migrant women and is currently creating a scholarship to encourage Yemeni-American girls to pursue college. At Harvard, she studies history and anthropology and acts as a liaison between the campus’s first-generation students and administration. Through this role, Laila has organized some of Harvard’s most impactful first-generation student initiatives which have reached thousands of students. In her free time, you can find her cafe hopping with friends.

To hear more about Laila and the Truman Scholarship, check out The Harvard Crimson's recent article here.