Public health major Jason Levitt ’26 wins Udall Scholarship

Jason Levitt ’26 is Furman University’s newest recipient of the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship, an honor awarded to 55 students nationwide who demonstrate leadership, public service and commitment to issues related to Native American health care, tribal policy and the environment.

Levitt joins a total of seven scholars from Furman among more than 2,000 Udall alumni. Last year, Morgan Locklear ’25 was named a Udall Scholar and urged Levitt to apply.

With both Jewish and Native American roots, Levitt said he’s a “minority among minorities.” Growing up, he often felt isolated or misunderstood by peers who grappled with how to define him, or fit him into a singular cultural category. But navigating those experiences gave him “a unique perspective that allowed me to appreciate the complexity of identity and the beauty of diverse backgrounds,” he said.

Levitt, a public health major, said his penchant for giving voice to untold stories likely resonated with the Udall Scholarship selection committee. He spent months working on his proposal with Scott Henderson, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Education and director of national and international scholarships. In it, Levitt described his involvement with a Cultural Life Program event and his work with underserved youth in his hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina.

A member of Arizona’s Pascua Yaqui Tribe and then vice president of the Furman Native American and Indigenous Peoples Association (NAIA), Levitt developed “Bridging Cultures: Indigenous Insights in Modern Medicine,” a CLP that revealed health disparities and vulnerabilities among tribal communities.

To pull off the event, Levitt rallied support from multiple departments, institutes and centers at Furman and brought in Native American scholars from Yale and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to spark new conversations on campus while growing a network of new mentors.

“Since coming to Furman, I’ve made a conscious effort to explore my identity and raise awareness of issues impacting native communities,” he said. “Being recognized nationally for that work is incredibly humbling and motivating.”

As an intern with Spartanburg Housing, Levitt applied classroom knowledge to real-world challenges. He introduced youth to wide-ranging career paths while collaborating with professionals in health care, nonprofits and the legal sphere. “It was a perfect example of The Furman Advantage and how the university combines academic rigor with civic engagement. The experience helped me build the networking and organizational skills that will shape my future in public health,” he said.

Throughout the internship, Levitt discovered what it means to be a leader.

“The moment you decide to become a leader is the moment your responsibility becomes prioritizing others – looking out for them, lifting them up, and caring for their wellbeing, no matter how challenging,” he said.

This summer, Levitt will work with United Ministries and Furman’s Anna Cass, an associate professor of health sciences, to conduct research and explore interventions for chronically unhoused people in Greenville. In August, he’ll connect with fellow Udall Scholars, elected officials and environmental and tribal leaders.

This fall, Levitt is looking forward to serving as president of NAIA, preparing for the MCAT, setting up more CLPs, and as an avid basketball fan, attending lots of Furman hoops games in the newly renovated Timmons Arena.

Most of all, he’s excited to spend more time investing in relationships among Furman faculty and friends, “creating memories that will last a lifetime.”