Five Penn students were recently named recipients of the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service, marking the most awardees from one institution.<\/p>\n
The scholarship, sponsored by the Obama Foundation and Airbnb chief executive officer Brian Chesky, brings undergraduate juniors into a two-year leadership development program. In the five years of the program\u2019s existence, Penn has never produced more than two Voyager Scholars in a single cohort \u2014 until now.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really pleased that the University of Pennsylvania has five folks in this year\u2019s cohort,\u201d Obama Foundation Executive Vice President of Programs Tina Tchen said in an interview. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of talent there at Penn, and we\u2019re really proud to have them all as part of the new Voyager class.\u201d<\/p>\n
Penn juniors Emily Bhatnagar, Zoya Hasan, Amy Liao, Soledad Mayobre Lopez, and Avi Talsania were among 100 students selected this year, according<\/a> to a Sept. 22 announcement.<\/p>\n Scholars receive<\/a> up to $50,000 in financial aid to help \u201calleviate the burden of college debt,\u201d a network of supportive mentors, and access to travel opportunities that can help them expand \u201ctheir connections to new communities.\u201d Students are given an additional $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing for a \u201csummer work-travel experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Get the DP delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n Sign Up<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re trying to do is create the opportunity for them to grow in knowledge and develop it,\u201d Tchen said, adding that \u201cthe long-term impact we hope to have with the scholarship is adding their talents to the service and change-making that can happen around the country.\u201d<\/p>\n For College of Liberal and Professional Studies junior Emily Bhatnagar, being a Voyager scholar allows her to fully pursue her nonprofit organization \u2014 For Love & Buttercup \u2014 after graduation.<\/p>\n The scholarship, she explained, is allowing her to pursue her \u201cabsolute wildest dreams without having to constantly worry, \u2018oh my gosh, how do I afford my tuition?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Bhatnagar shared that her nonprofit aims to \u201cbring comfort to children undergoing cancer and other serious illnesses with the magic of books.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t imagine doing anything in the world besides that now,\u201d she added. \u201cBut at first, it was just a small way to find solace in my own family\u2019s battle and extend that kindness outwards to other kids who might be battling similar things as my dad.\u201d<\/p>\n Bhatnagar started<\/a> For Love & Buttercup at 17, working out of her family\u2019s shop. To date, she said, the nonprofit has donated over 30,000 books.\u00a0<\/p>\n College junior Zoya Hasan founded the Hikmah Foundation<\/a>, which pairs refugee children with high school tutors.\u00a0<\/p>\n She began teaching Kashmiri students who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic over Zoom when she was 14 years old.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Hasan, that experience inspired her to create a foundation to ensure that children \u201care able to get the resources that they need as best as possible, but mainly give them a friend that can help them navigate a pretty tumultuous time in their life.\u201d<\/p>\n College junior Soledad Mayobre Lopez wrote in a statement that she hopes the program will help her \u201cdevelop a clearer direction\u201d to pursue her interests in medicine and public service.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBeing a Voyager Scholar is an affirmation that the work I care about has value and room to grow,\u201d she added. \u201cI also see it as a responsibility to approach service with humility and consistency.\u201d<\/p>\n Amy Liao, a College junior and staffer at The Daily Pennsylvanian, aims<\/a> to promote access to arts education in public schools. She previously worked with Pennsylvania Youth Vote, using films and storytelling to encourage youth voter participation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Avi Talsania is a junior in the Life Sciences & Management dual-degree program, which is hosted between the College and Wharton, and hopes<\/a> to address disparities in healthcare access. He has worked with the Leonard Davis Institute and Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia to examine how residential mobility influences access to care for preterm infants and their families.<\/p>\n