Richmond’s first Phi Beta Kappa Service Scholar
University News
While studying at Oxford for the past year, senior Will Iboshi brought his powerful voice to public service and musical groups.
Selected from more than 800 applicants from across the nation, senior Will Iboshi has been selected by the Phi Beta Kappa Society as a Key into Public Service Scholar. Iboshi is the first UR student to receive this award, given annually to 20 exceptional arts and sciences students interested in pursuing careers in local, state, and federal government.
As a PBK Service Scholar, Iboshi will receive an undergraduate scholarship along with training and mentorship opportunities in civil service during a conference in Washington, D.C.
“This award will enable me to build a community with other rising public servants from across the country who are deeply invested in improving their communities,” said Iboshi, who hails from Portland, Oregon. “I am incredibly grateful to the Phi Beta Kappa Society for the personalized mentorship and training that will guide me in the years ahead.”
Iboshi is majoring in political science and global studies, with minors in Arabic and history. He has served as a representative on the President’s Student Advisory Board and as a senator in the Richmond College Student Government Association. He is also a Richmond Scholar, received a Burhans Civic Fellowship to intern at the Oregon Department of Justice, and was a finalist for the highly competitive Truman Scholarship in 2025.
Professor of Political Science Sandra Joireman said she was pleased but not surprised that Iboshi received the Phi Beta Kappa special honor. “Will is a delightful person. He's very friendly and adaptable,” Joireman said. “He is smart and has the gift of deep intellectual curiosity and the ability to be focused and diligent in his work.”
Iboshi studied abroad at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford, focusing on international law and politics.
“I've really enjoyed the tutorial system, being immersed in intensive one-on-one classes in international relations and social policy, attending debates at the Oxford Union, and completing an internship with United Nations Peacekeeping that was very rewarding during my time there,” Iboshi said.
Law and lyrics
Iboshi also has a musical inclination. During his first two years at Richmond, he sang with the a cappella group Choeur du Roi and went on a tour to Ireland with the University's chamber choir, Schola Cantorum. At Oxford, he was selected to join Out of the Blue, an a cappella group that tours internationally and performs more than 80 concerts each year.
This summer, he will perform in 26 shows with Out of the Blue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest performing arts festival. After that, he will return to Richmond to begin his senior year.
“At Richmond, I have found a lifelong community of friends, mentors, and professors who have supported me on my journey in public service,” said Iboshi. “This award is a testament to the transformative and first-rate liberal arts and sciences education I have received at the University of Richmond."
After graduation, Iboshi plans to pursue a course of study to become an international human rights lawyer.