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.
McKenna Beard
Education: University of North Carolina Wilmington
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Kings Mountain, North Carolina
Internship: Office of Rep. David Rouzer
McKenna has gained political and legal experience through internship roles in Senator Ted Budd’s office, North Carolina State Senator Michael Lee’s campaign and at the Gaston County Courthouse. On campus, she serves as a student fellow for the College Debate and Discourse Alliance and as an honors college peer mentor. She is the president of the Network of Enlightened Women’s chapter and an active member of the College Republicans. She brings experience in Microsoft Office, SPSS and major social media platforms. McKenna has volunteer experience at local political events and in children’s ministry. McKenna recently expanded her global knowledge by taking a study abroad trip to Florence and Venice, Italy.
Ethan Blanchard
Education: Appalachian State University
Major: Criminal Justice
Hometown: Sanford, North Carolina
Internship: Citizens Against Government Waste
Ethan is in his second year as an honors student. In the summer of 2025, Ethan had the opportunity to work with North Carolina state senator Ralph Hise where he got to witness the inner workings of how legislation is made, debated and passed at the state level. He is also involved with a Christian ministry at Appalachian State, known as RUF, where he leads the outreach team. Lastly, Ethan is president of the Young Americans for Liberty at App State where he also works as a state chair for the purpose of spreading the pro-liberty movement across North Carolina.
Simona Capatina
Education: Appalachian State University
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Candler, North Carolina
Internship: U.S. Department of Education
Simona is an engaged and driven student with a strong interest in civic involvement, public policy and constructive political discourse. She is actively involved in campus organizations centered on political engagement, where she collaborates with peers to write, debate and refine policy proposals. Through these experiences, she has developed skills in public speaking, critical thinking and working across diverse perspectives, as well as a growing interest in legislative writing and the legislative sphere. Originally from Moldova, Simona immigrated to the United States and is a naturalized dual citizen. She is fluent in Romanian and her background has instilled in her a deep appreciation for the freedoms and opportunities the U.S. offers. Her experiences continue to motivate her to remain engaged in civic life. Simona also has a strong interest in law and legislative politics.
Rianza De Wet
Education: University of North Carolina Wilmington
Major: English
Hometown: Wilmington, North Carolina
Internship: FedNet
Rianza de Wet is a rising senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Honors College. Originally from South Africa, she is passionate about language, culture and storytelling, which led her to pursue a minor in Spanish. She has worked closely with Spanish-speaking communities through tutoring and clinical roles. As a recipient of the Wentworth Fellowship, Rianza conducted research in Rome and also studied abroad in Argentina, experiences that deepened her interest in how culture, faith and public life intersect. She is particularly interested in how storytelling shapes understanding across communities. Rianza is a contributor to The Seahawk, where she covers campus and community stories. She is also an active student leader in campus ministry, where her involvement has strengthened her ability to communicate with both confidence and compassion.
Paisley Holland
Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Major: Media and Journalism
Hometown: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Internship: Eurasia Foundation
Paisley Holland is an outgoing student entering her second year of college. On campus, she is deeply involved in the Carolina Diplomacy Fellowship and is an active member of CarolinaMUN, her collegiate-level traveling Model UN team, as well as participating in ModelNATO and ModelEU simulations. With a particular interest in Europe, she also speaks Russian. She has engaged in self-led humanities research analyzing race portrayed in the TV show South Park, and in economic research under Dr. Peter Arcidiacono at Duke University. Beyond global affairs and research, Paisley writes opinion columns for The Daily Tar Heel, blending personal insight with reflections on campus culture and broader social issues. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music and traveling—having already explored Italy and Greece during study abroad, she has many more destinations on her list.
Oliver Laimets
Education: University of Tartu
Major: Business Administration
Hometown: Tallinn, Estonia
Internship: Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC)
Oliver has completed his first year of university and brings practical experience in logistics, coordination and teamwork. He has worked at Tallinn Harbor, managing traffic and cargo flow, and was trusted to take on additional responsibility when needed. After finishing high school, he joined the Estonian Army, an experience that strengthened his discipline, reliability and ability to perform under pressure. In addition, he is an active member of the university’s marketing club and an intern at a neuromarketing firm, where he is developing skills in consumer behavior and data-driven decision-making.
Zoe Politis
Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Major: Public Policy
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina
Internship: Centene Corporation
Zoe just finished her junior year at UNC Chapel Hill, and will be beginning her senior year at the beginning of the upcoming fall semester. Zoe just arrived back from a semester abroad in Spain and loves to travel. Her favorite place she has been (so far) is Greece. During her junior year, Zoe interned at North Carolina Electric Cooperatives in the Government Affairs department. On campus, she is involved with Paws for a Cause, founder of a community health non-profit called Healthy Hive and has worked on educational equity research with her professors. She is passionate about education and healthcare policy.
Uma Ramesh
Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Major: Public Policy
Hometown: Marvin, North Carolina
Internship: AFSA Education Foundation
Uma is a rising senior, interested in pursuing a career in public policy with a particular emphasis on women’s reproductive health and equitable access to healthcare. On campus, Uma is actively involved in Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. She is also a member of the marching band where she plays the piccolo and has participated in campus organizations focused on service and community engagement. Uma has held student support roles within her university, assisting incoming college students with their transition to campus life.
Lazarus White
Education: Western Carolina University
Major: Economic Analysis
Hometown: Hendersonville, North Carolina
Internship: Kid Power Inc.
Lazarus is driven by a strong interest in public policy, economic analysis, law and civil debate, and has pursued opportunities that engage with these areas. His experience includes serving as WCU’s president of the North Carolina Student Legislature, where he developed legislation and debated with fellow students across the state, as well as working as a Braver Angels Student Fellow where he promoted and marketed campus-wide debates to encourage civil dialogue. Outside of academics and campus engagement, he enjoys running, hiking and playing basketball.