Ariel Koren, a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, has been awarded a Harry S. Truman Scholarship, a merit-based award for college students who plan to pursue graduate or professional degrees to prepare for careers in government or public service.

Koren, of Jacksonville, Fla., is an East Asian languages and civilizations major in the School of Arts & Sciences at Penn. She has served as president of the Class of 2015 since her freshman year and has worked on starting several university-wide traditions and initiatives such as The Wellness Project, Skimmer Fest and the Penn HOLI festival, a huge celebration of life and diversity inspired by the traditional Hindu spring festival.

As a senior in high school, Koren founded Active Cross-cultural Training in our Neighborhoods. She has worked to expand ACTION programming from her hometown to Philadelphia and is seeking to take ACTION to New York City.

Koren is among 60 United States students awarded Truman Scholarships this year and is the 21st Truman Scholar from Penn since 1981.

Additional information about the Harry S. Truman Scholarship program is available at www.truman.gov or at the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, http://www.upenn.edu/curf/fellowships/fellowships-directory/truman-scholarship.