North Carolina Students Receive Prestigious DeJoy-Wos Scholarships

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- North Carolina business leader Louis DeJoy and his wife Dr. Aldona Wos have provided $100,000 in scholarship funding to enable students attending school in North Carolina and Estonia to attend summer 2019 academic internship programs organized by The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) and held in Washington, D.C. In the second of a five-year gift, funded through the Louis DeJoy and Aldona Wos Family Foundation, one full scholarship is awarded to an Estonia student and full and partial scholarships are awarded to North Carolina students, with priority given to students with financial need. The students will intern with government agencies, media outlets, businesses and nonprofit organizations, while attending courses with academic credit provided through George Mason University.

DeJoy is the former chairman and chief executive officer of New Breed Logistics, a major employer in the Triad region, which he merged with XPO Logistics in 2014. He is currently the president of Greensboro-based LDJ Global Strategies. Wos served as ambassador to Estonia from 2004 to 2006, and from 2013 to 2015 she was head of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. As of May 2017, Wos serves as vice-chairwoman of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships.

This year, 10 students attending North Carolina colleges and universities or those with NC residency, as well as one Estonian student, have been selected to benefit from the scholarships – Mary Bennett Doty and Karlton Tate (UNC Chapel Hill), Cristina Garcia Ayala and Josie Tarin (Duke), Ian Goodman (Winston-Salem, attending College of Charleston), Thomas Johnston (Lenoir-Rhyne), Morgan Murray (East Carolina), Jacob Trubey (NC State), Chandler Vaughn (Elon) and Merili Arjakas (University of Tartu in Estonia).

Over the past 14 years, DeJoy and Wos have provided scholarship assistance to enable more than 100 North Carolina and 48 Estonian students to participate in TFAS summer programs. Louis DeJoy said he's pleased to support these students because "preparing today's young people to be honorable leaders is the surest way to promote American values and economic prosperity in the future. The programs of TFAS develop well-rounded leaders who make a difference on campus, in their state capitals and at the highest levels of government."

Roger Ream, president of The Fund for American Studies, said, "We're grateful for the generous DeJoy-Wos scholarships, which will provide a platform for talented students to gain real-world experience in our nation's capital, while also giving them the opportunity to learn more about the key institutions of American government. These scholarships will change young lives and help prepare the next generation of leaders in North Carolina, Washington and Estonia."

UNC Chapel Hill student Karlton Tate, who will be interning with the Economic Innovation Group, said "I am incredibly grateful that I have been selected as a scholarship recipient through the Louis DeJoy and Aldona Wos Family Foundation. This scholarship provides me with the incredible opportunity to intern and take classes in the nation's capital, an opportunity that I would have otherwise been unable to pursue."

Another student, Chandler Vaughn from Elon University, is grateful for the scholarship and for the opportunity to "be a part of such a prestigious program." Jacob Trubey of NC State is looking forward to gaining "valuable professional experience and learning more about the field of U.S. foreign policy. I am beyond thankful to the Foundation for affording me this opportunity." Merili Arjakas from Estonia has never been to the United States and believes the experience will help strengthen her understanding of American politics and US-European relations. She is grateful to the Foundation for providing her this "once in a lifetime opportunity."

In addition to their internships and classes at George Mason University, students will attend site briefings, guest lectures, professional development seminars and other networking events. Almost 600 college students from across the U.S. and around the world will be participating in programs sponsored by The Fund for American Studies this summer.

For more information about Louis DeJoy, Dr. Aldona Wos and their family foundation, visit www.louisdejoyandaldonawosfamilyfoundation.com/.

The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) is a nonprofit, educational organization that hosts academic internship programs for undergraduate and law students in Washington, D.C. and international academic programs in Europe, Hong Kong and South America. Founded in 1967, TFAS is now celebrating 50 years of educating leaders for a free society. For more information on TFAS programs, visit www.DCinternships.org or www.TFASinternational.org. For general information about TFAS, visit www.TFAS.org.

SOURCE The Fund for American Studies