COMMUNITY NEWS
Press Release Compiled by Michelle Cassell
Editor
Nine College Students from North Carolina and Estonia
Selected to Receive Prestigious DeJoy-Woś Scholarships
Louis DeJoy, North Carolina business leader and former U.S. Postmaster General, his wife, former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia Dr. Aldona Woś, and The Fund for American Studies (TFAS), have announced the recipients of the 2026 DeJoy-Woś Scholarships.
The 2026 DeJoy-Woś Scholars are:
- Paisley Holland, Zoe Politis, and Uma Ramesh – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- McKenna Beard and Rianza De Wet – University of North Carolina Wilmington
- Ethan Blanchard and Simona Capatina – Appalachian State University
- Lazarus White – Western Carolina University
- Oliver Lamets – The University of Tartu, Estonia
The DeJoy-Woś Family Foundation of Greensboro, North Carolina, has generously supported this scholarship program for two decades. The 2026 Scholars will receive full scholarships to participate in the TFAS Academic Internship Program in Washington, D.C., where they will intern with leading organizations and complete courses through George Mason University.
“I’m just so grateful to have the opportunity to be able to come and participate in the TFAS program,” said Ethan Blanchard, a scholar interning with Citizens Against Government Waste this summer. “It’s a major blessing because if I didn’t receive this scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to attend. I’m so passionate about politics, so I couldn’t be more grateful to be entering this career field.”
Louis DeJoy served as the 75th U.S. Postmaster General from 2020 to 2025 and currently serves as President of LDJ Global Strategies. Previously, he was Chairman and CEO of New Breed Logistics and CEO of XPO’s Supply Chain business in the Americas. Dr. Aldona Woś currently serves as President Emerita and Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Institute of World Politics and as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She serves as U.S. Ambassador to Estonia from 2004 to 2006.
To be eligible for the DeJoy-Woś Scholarship, students must attend college in North Carolina or be residents of the state. One scholarship is reserved annually for a student from Estonia.
For more information about the DeJoy-Wos family foundation, visit louisdejoyandaldonawosfamilyfo
The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) is an educational nonprofit that hosts academic internship programs for undergraduate and law students in Washington, D.C., international academic programs in Europe and South America, programs for high school students and teachers, and fellowships for journalists and public policy professionals.
For more information on TFAS programs, visit www.DCinternships.org, www.TFASinternational.org, or www.FTE.org. For general information about TFAS, visit www.TFAS.org.
Michelle Cassell is a seasoned reporter who has covered everything from crime to hurricanes and local politics to human interest over the course of 35 years. As editor, she hopes to encourage writers of a wide range of backgrounds and interests in TLR’s coverage of Southern Orange County news. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocalReporter.press.
Be the first to comment on "Three UNC Chapel Hill Students Selected to Receive Prestigious DeJoy-Woś Scholarship"