Senior Russian Flagship double-major named a 2025 Truman Scholar

University of Georgia senior Mercedes “Sadie” Bengs is one of 54 undergraduates from 49 colleges and universities across the nation to be selected as a 2025 Truman Scholar, a prestigious award given each year to students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential and commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector.

Bengs is from Aberdeen, South Dakota, and is studying international affairs in the School of Public and International Affairs and Russian in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. She is a cadet in UGA’s Air Force ROTC, is in the Russian Flagship Program and is a Russell Security Leadership Program Fellow.

When she commissions into the Air Force, Bengs will continue a family legacy as a fourth-generation military service member; her father retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel. Bengs is currently a mission support group commander in the Air Force ROTC.

The Truman Scholarship provides funding for graduate studies and opportunities for training, internships and fellowships. This year’s Truman Scholars were selected from 743 candidates who were nominated by 288 colleges and universities.

The federally-sponsored Russian Flagship Program in the Franklin College department of Germanic and Slavic studies provides undergraduate students of any major the language skills, mentoring, and intercultural competence in Russian by graduation. Flagship students experience study abroad, cultural activities, and professional internships, and earn prestigious Flagship certification.

"Sadie Bengs exemplifies the very best of what the University of Georgia’s Russian Flagship Program strives to cultivate – linguistic excellence, global awareness, and an unwavering commitment to public service and national security," said Victoria Hasko, Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics and Slavic Studies and Director of the UGA Russian Flagship Program. "Her path to mastering Russian has been marked by purpose and perseverance, and Sadie's immersive studies in Eastern and Northern Europe have demonstrated her ability to navigate challenging environments with cultural intelligence. 

According to Hasko, the Russian Flagship program had a major impact on Bengs' decision to study at UGA. As an ROTC Air Force cadet, she qualified for qualify for a Flagship scholarship from the Department of Defense.

"Based on Sadie's impressive advanced proficiency in Russian, I would say that she is currently not only one of the most linguistically and cross-culturally proficient Air Force ROTC cadets in the nation but also a future leader poised to shape U.S. policy and national security with clarity, compassion, and conviction," Hasko said. "We are immensely proud of her achievement as a Truman Scholar."

Bengs researches national security issues as a Security Leadership Program Fellow, writes articles about Belarussian news for the Russian Flagship’s ARCS — Areas Where Russian is Commonly Spoken — initiative and helps other students develop their Russian language acquisition through the UGA Russian Club.

Her interests in lethal autonomous weapons systems and Russia’s use of artificial intelligence against civilians have won her research grants through the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the UGA Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities. She is also an active member of Phi Beta Kappa, served as commander of the UGA Valor Honor Guard and worked to boost retention and community impact as vice president of Silver Wings, a joint civilian and Air Force ROTC community service organization.

Image: Mercedes “Sadie” Bengs