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), announced the recipients of the 2025 DeJoy-Woś Scholarships.
The 2025 DeJoy-Woś Scholars are:
- Ethan Curb, Ishon Liao, Greyson Rainwater and Sarah Soson – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Kaylyn Oh – Duke University
- Elizabeth Zumbahlen – Campbell University
- Tryston Weiss – Western Carolina University
- Alo Kuusik – The University of Tartu, Estonia
The DeJoy-Woś Family Foundation of Greensboro, North Carolina, has generously supported this scholarship program for two decades. The 2025 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 two courses through George Mason University.
“Being a DeJoy-Woś Scholar with the TFAS program has truly been one of the greatest opportunities of my undergraduate career—and of my life,” said Greyson Rainwater, a North Carolina native interning at Penn Quarter Partners. “This scholarship has allowed me to engage in meaningful conversations in class, in the dorm, and throughout D.C. with peers from diverse perspectives. I owe Mr. DeJoy and Dr. Woś my deepest gratitude for helping make this dream a reality.”
Other DeJoy-Woś Scholars described the opportunity to come to Washington, D.C., to live, learn and intern as “transformative,” “life-changing,” and “rewarding.”
“I am extremely grateful for the scholarship award that allows me to live, learn, and intern in our nation’s capital,” said Ishon Liao, a political science major. “I look forward to all the
rewarding experiences this opportunity will bring.”
In addition to the full scholarships, the Foundation is also supporting two students with partial scholarships for this year’s TFAS Summer Program:
- Zane Holley – Duke University
- Virginia Buffum – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Buffum, who is interning at the Orion Policy Institute, reflected on the impact of her TFAS experience.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities TFAS provides—from classroom discussions and networking events to site briefings that open doors to premier U.S. institutions,” she said. “Being surrounded by such intelligent, driven students has been inspiring. I know thissummer will be a turning point for my professional journey.”
Louis DeJoy served as the 75th U.S. Postmaster General from 2020 to 2025 and was previously chairman and CEO of New Breed Logistics. Dr. Aldona Woś currently serves as president of the Institute of World Politics and was 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 louisdejoyandaldonawosfamilyfoundation.com.