The day after taking his LSAT, Weinberg junior Ethan Barnes didn’t think much of an email from Northwestern’s Director of the Office of Fellowships Elizabeth Lewis Pardoe.
“I was so exhausted and mentally drained from taking the test,” Barnes said. “The next day, I got an email from Dr. Pardoe saying, ‘Can you get on a Zoom call?’”
On the call, Pardoe raised up a wooden plaque engraved with the names of NU’s previous 22 Truman Scholars.
Written on a sticky note was Barnes’ name.
“I was shocked,” Barnes said. “I was so happy, even though it was a little hard to express because I was so tired from the day before. It was such a positive moment.”
On April 18, Barnes was named a 2025 Truman Scholar, a national honor for college students who demonstrate leadership and public service commitment that was inaugurated in 1977.
Barnes was selected as one of 54 scholars from a pool of 743 candidates and was the seventh consecutive recipient from NU, according to Pardoe.
“That consistency is a real testament to the Northwestern student body’s commitment to public service,” Pardoe said. “It is rare to have Truman Scholars every year.”
Pardoe helped Barnes and NU’s other Truman Scholar nominees craft their applications, including a policy proposal and personal reflection. Pardoe said Barnes has consistently left a “remarkable impact” through his local and national government work.
A Washington D.C. native, Barnes became involved in politics from a young age.
When he was 10 years old, Barnes met then-Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, who sparked his interest in local government. Barnes later door-knocked for Muriel Bowser’s Washington D.C. mayoral campaign, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, he interned with the city’s Office of Health Equity, which addresses healthcare disparities by promoting local policies and research.
“For as long as I can remember, politics has been a lifelong interest,” Barnes said.
Barnes began his public service work at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, which he attended for two years before transferring to NU.
During his sophomore year, Barnes was appointed as the youngest member to the town’s Civil Service Commission, where he worked alongside two other members to approve police hiring and promotions. He also met biweekly with the police chief and participated in ride-alongs.
Barnes said the experience gave him a closer look at local government and policing dynamics, especially in a rural town — a sharp contrast to the urban Washington D.C. politics he grew up around, he said.
Barnes is also the founder of Fair Policing, an national initiative he started in 2023 in Pennsylvania to foster positive relationships between local police and youth, particularly in minority communities.
“I noticed a lot of police officers didn’t have as much consistent interaction with communities of color and low-income communities in a way that was non-combative,” Barnes said.
The organization runs social activities with police officers and kids, including basketball games, board game events and community center hangouts.
“I think it’s important for kids to have that experience because a lot of them grow up being scared of police, especially looking at the news and seeing kids murdered by police officers for being unarmed,” Barnes said. “(Fair Policing) helps them get over these fears, and it’s positive for both sides.”
Fair Policing recently expanded to Clearwater and Destin, Florida, and Barnes said he hopes to recruit a network of college students across the country to help spread the initiative.
The commission taught Barnes to be vocal in new situations, a lesson he carried with him to NU.
“I learned to be confident and expressive because, if you’re not, it’s harder to have an impact,” Barnes said.
At NU, Barnes works as a research assistant for Medill Prof. Ava Thompson Greenwell’s documentary “Hearing Silences: 50 Years of Black Women Faculty at Northwestern University.” He transcribed interviews and helped create a digital database of the professors’ stories.
Greenwell said she chose Barnes to work for her partially because he was the only applicant who wrote a thank you note after his interview.
“Any student could probably do the work that was involved, but he actually explained his interest and showed politeness,” she said.
Barnes’ drive and curiosity has also impressed Greenwell. She said Barnes’ choice to transfer demonstrates he’s eager to embrace change.
Greenwell didn’t know Barnes was planning to take the LSAT or applying for the scholarship, which is a sign of his humility, she said.
“As smart and driven as Northwestern students are, I think what really impresses me is how much he’s done in the short time that he’s been here,” Greenwell said.
After graduation, Barnes plans to pursue criminal law and is considering becoming a U.S. attorney in Washington D.C.
At the end of the month, Barnes will attend the Truman Scholars Leadership Week in Liberty, Missouri, where he’ll participate in policy workshops, meet previous Truman Scholarship winners and complete community service projects around Kansas City.
“Being around people who are motivated and pursuing public service makes me want to dedicate my life to this work,” Barnes said.
Email: [email protected]
X: @rschlueter26
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