Shared Path, Shared Prize
UM's Latest Truman Scholars Have Supported Each Other as Students, Friends and Leaders
As friends and former roommates, UM juniors Vivianne Ostheimer and Cadence Hatten submitted their applications to become Harry S. Truman Scholars side by side.
This spring, the two were among just 55 college students nationwide selected for the award, one of the most prestigious scholarships in the country.
The honor was not only a testament to the student support they received at UM, but also to their friendship, the University’s campus community and the encouragement they’ve offered each other along the way.
“You watch someone go through all of these highs and lows, and it’s really nice to know you’re not alone in those moments,” Hatten said in a UM news release.
Ostheimer, who is majoring in environmental science and journalism, plans to pursue master’s degrees in public policy and energy resources. Her long-term goal is to help communities transition to more sustainable energy systems.
As a communicative sciences and disorders major, Hatten is equally driven by a desire to serve. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in speech language pathology and hopes to improve access to care, particularly in rural communities.
Ostheimer and Hatten, who also earned Presidential Leadership Scholarships through the Davidson Honors College, were selected to become Truman Scholars from 781 candidates nominated by 305 universities nationwide. They are the 17th and 18th UM students to receive the award.
In addition to the Truman awards, UM students continued to score across the board, earning other top nationwide honors.
Along with Susan Connelly and Elannah Flat Lip, Ostheimer was named a 2026 Udall Scholar, helping cement UM’s legacy of being No. 1 in the nation for number of Udall Scholarship recipients. Senior Bella Wengappuly was named a 2026-27 Goldwater Scholar, one of the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate honors for students pursuing research careers in science, engineering and mathematics.