Grehan ’10 wins Sachs Scholarship

Wilson School major Josh Grehan ’10 has been awarded this year’s Daniel Sachs ’60 Scholarship, one of the highest awards given to Princeton undergraduates. He plans to spend two years studying at Worcester College at Oxford University if admitted.

After his final interview for the scholarship Saturday, Grehan said he received a call from a committee member Sunday morning asking for a meeting. Grehan said he went to the meeting expecting a second-round interview, but upon arrival, he was told that he would receive the scholarship.

“It was a pretty big surprise,” Grehan said. “I absolutely woke up thinking I had to do [the interview] again at 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning.”

Sachs committee chair David Loevner said 44 seniors applied for the Sachs Scholarship this year and nine were given interviews.

Grehan was raised in villages in northern Canada by his mother, who worked with Native Americans to ensure that their treaty rights were respected by the Canadian government, Grehan said.

"As a result, I grew up often as the only white kid in these villages and I formed a very close connection with the native people, that’s where the issues around racism really bothered me," Grehan explained. "My mom’s life was really dedicated to social justice, so I think a lot of that really rubbed off on me as well."

Grehan added that his mother had to quit her job to raise him and they went on welfare for a while to support themselves.

"Different social programs helped me and my mom out, and my interest in social values extends from that," Grehan said.

Grehan is doing his thesis work, with adviser Wilson School professor Marta Tienda, on “how communities can use public spaces to help underprivileged youth.”

“I want to look at whether or not skateboard parks increase crime,” Grehan explained. While skateboard parks are generally viewed with criticism because they are associated with crime, Grehan said there is “zero evidence” for this assumption.

Tienda described Grehan as a “selfless” person with “very high standards for himself.”

“He’s very interested in who gets excluded,” Tienda said. “His fascination is in young people and all the promise they harbor if only they had chances.”

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Grehan said he hopes to eventually return to his hometown in Saskatchewan, Canada, where he will focus on mitigating racism between the Native American and white communities through the use of sports.

Two summers ago, Grehan received funding to establish a summer sports program in Saskatchewan.

“I created a summer rowing program and worked with youth from my hometown and a reservation,” Grehan said.

Grehan participates in SpringBoard, a program at Princeton Public Library that gives homework help to local students. He is also a sexual health adviser at the University.

Grehan’s freshman year writing seminar professor William Westerman described Grehan as an “original thinker” who “has an incredible sensitivity to issues of justice and injustice.”

Grehan attended the United World College, an international high school in Victoria, Canada. Because of his upbringing at an international school, Grehan is “very aware of his place in the larger global context and yet always with this intent sympathy for people who are without privilege and dealing with poverty,” Westerman said.

Daniel Sachs ’60, who died of cancer at age 28, attended Worcester College as a Rhodes Scholar. A scholarship was created in his memory in 1970. The scholarship is given to individuals who best exemplify “Sachs’ character, intelligence, and commitment and whose scholarship is most likely to benefit the public,” according to a University statement.