The Voyager Scholarship: The Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service was created by the Obamas and Brian Chesky, Airbnb Co-founder and CEO, to help shape such leaders. Even though they come from different backgrounds, both the President and Brian believe that exposure to new places and experiences generates understanding, empathy, and cooperation which equips the next generation to create meaningful change.
This scholarship gives college students financial aid to alleviate the burden of college debt, meaningful travel experiences to expand their horizons, and a network of mentors and leaders to support them.
What the Scholarship provides:
Up to $50,000 in financial aid
Students will receive up to $25,000 per year in “last dollar” financial aid for their junior and senior years of college. This financial aid should alleviate the burden of college debt so that students can afford to pursue a career in public service.
Summer Voyage
Students will receive a $10,000 stipend and Airbnb travel credit to pursue a summer work-travel experience between their junior and senior year of college. The students will design their own Summer Voyage to gain exposure to new communities and experience in a chosen field.
10-year travel stipend
After graduation, Airbnb will provide the students with a $2,000 travel credit every year for 10 years, totaling $20,000. This will allow students to continue to broaden their horizons and forge new connections throughout their public service careers.
Fall Summit
Each fall, students will be invited to a summit to help define and inspire their public service journey.
Network of leaders
Throughout the program, students will be invited to an ongoing speaker series, giving them access to a network of leaders. This network of leaders will expose them to new areas of service and innovations happening in their fields. After graduation, they will join the Obama Foundation’s global community, providing them with Foundation resources and programming.
For eligibility, application, and other information, please visit: https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/obama-chesky-scholarship/
Gloria Lwin ’24, a Centre College Bonner Leader and native of Owensboro, Kentucky, was named to the inaugural cohort of Voyager Scholarship recipients in 2022. Lwin said her experience with the Bonner Program aided her greatly in the application process. Read more about Lwin as a Voyager Scholar here: https://www.centre.edu/news/gloria-lwin-24-named-inaugural-group-obama-chesky-scholars