President and Mrs. Obama along with Brian Chesky, the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, have announced the second cohort of Voyager Scholarship recipients.
The Voyager Scholarship is a two-year program intended to support and prepare college juniors for careers in public service. It provides several components including:
- Up to $50,000 in financial aid. Students receive up to $25,000 per year in “last dollar” financial aid for their junior and senior years of college.
- Summer Voyage. Students are given a $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing to fund a summer work-travel experience between their junior and senior year of college. Students design their own summer voyage to gain exposure to new communities and experience in a chosen field.
- Fall Summit. Students participate each fall in an annual summit that helps shape their public service plans and development.
- Network of leaders. Students are also invited to an ongoing speaker series, giving them access to a network of leaders and new areas of service and innovations in their fields. After graduation, they join the Obama Foundation’s global community, providing them with additional Foundation resources and programming.
The Voyager Scholarships was established through a $100 million personal contribution by Brian Chesky to the Obama Foundation in 2022. “If we want this next generation of leaders to be able to do what they need to do, they have to meet each other. They have to know each other. They have to understand each other’s communities,” said President Obama in the announcement video. “You’re going to find young people from every corner of this country who are going to be future change makers. There are leaders everywhere. We just have to find them.”
This new cohort of Voyager Scholars, is composed of 100 individuals representing 33 states and territories and 75 higher education institutions, including Ivy League colleges, HBCUs, small liberal arts colleges, and major public and private research universities. The scholars’ fields of study range across the physical and life sciences, humanities, social sciences and policy studies.
“Michelle and I can’t wait to work with these talented young people over the next few years as they pursue careers in public service,” said President Obama in the announcement. “Their dedication to public service and their determination to solve global challenges inspire hope for a brighter future. We know that this scholarship will not only change their lives, but the world.”
“I’m so excited to see the impact this next class of Voyagers will have on society,” added Chesky. “These are some of the brightest young minds in the country and this scholarship will help unleash the potential we know exists in them.”
According to the Obama Foundation, the first cohort of Voyagers is just now completing their Summer Voyages to 63 countries and 23 states and territories. Like the new cohort, their specific interests spanned issues such as gender equity, the climate crisis, environmental sustainability, criminal justice reform, access to health care, and other public policy areas.
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