David Shin, who graduated from Boise State in 2021 with a degree in economics, has been named a Schwarzman Scholar for the class of 2023. Shin is the first Boise State student to win this scholarship since its inception in 2015. The Schwarzman Scholar program accepted 151 scholars out of nearly 3,000 applicants this year. This places its acceptance rate on par with other prestigious programs like the Marshall and Rhodes scholarships.
Shin attributes his success to the academic environment here at Boise State. “The economics department has cultivated a faculty that, above all else, values intellectual curiosity.”
Shin remembers the spirited conversations he had with all of his professors, but one in particular stands out in his memory. “Professor [Allen] Dalton has been a particularly special influence and mentor that has been with me since the beginning of my college journey. All aspiring students need strong support to achieve special things and I’m extremely lucky I found that with Professor Dalton.”
This isn’t the first time that Shin has received a competitive award. He was one of two Boise State Truman Scholars in 2020.
“Being named a 2020 Truman Scholarship is less a reflection of my personal abilities but rather the incredible opportunities that Boise State and the advising office in particular offers,” said Shin in 2020. “My fellowship advisor walked me through the process and was as invested in the process as I was, at times staying up as late as possible to help revise my essays. With this scholarship, I intend on obtaining a graduate economics and law degree in order to become a criminal justice attorney. I am passionate about reforming the current prison system in an economically rational way so that inmates that are released can join the workforce and not be at risk for returning to prison.”