Table of Contents
Students interested in a career in public service who are entering their junior year of college are encouraged to apply for the Obama-Chesky Scholarship.
Are you involved in your neighborhood, city, or local community? Do you enjoy giving your free time to local nonprofits to further a cause? If so, you might want to submit an application for the Obama-Chesky Scholarship, which honors students for outstanding community service.
Even though you might not be paid up front when you contribute your time, all of those hours spent taking part in volunteer work initiatives could help you earn some free money for paying for a college degree. The goal of this program is to support students who plan to change the world via public service.
Keep reading to find out how you can win the prize.
About the Obama-Chesky Scholarship
The Obama Foundation is of the opinion that we need young leaders who can cross barriers and work with us to address our most pressing problems in an increasingly globalized society.
President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky collaborated to establish the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service, also known as the Voyager Scholarship, in order to fulfill this goal.
Both the President and Brian, although coming from different backgrounds, think that opening oneself up to new environments and experiences fosters understanding, empathy, and cooperation, which empowers the next generation to effect genuine change.
The Obama-Chesky Scholarship is open to students entering their junior year of college and who are interested in a career in public service.
Additionally, the program provides financial aid to help students pay off their student loans, enriching travel opportunities to broaden their perspectives, and a network of mentors and leaders to support them.
Program Benefits
The Obama-Chesky Scholarship provides recipients a life-changing awards package, including:
- Up to $50,000 in last-dollar financial aid for their junior and senior years of college;
- A $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing to pursue a summer work-travel experience between their junior and senior year of college;
- Up to $20,000 in travel stipend for 10 years;
- An invitation to an annual summit to help define and inspire their public service journey; and
- An invitation to an ongoing speaker series, giving them access to a network of leaders.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to apply, you must meet all of the following eligibility criteria:
- Plan to enroll full-time in your junior year of study at an accredited four-year college or university in the United States in Fall;
- Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent;
- Plan to pursue a career in public service upon graduation;
- Have demonstrated a commitment to public service; and
- Be a United States citizen, permanent resident, or an individual granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program.
Selection Criteria
The selection committee is seeking students who share their curiosity for the world and their conviction that they should try to change it for the better.
As a result, applicants should be passionate about doing good deeds, have experience establishing or serving communities, and have a broad understanding of what can be accomplished through public service.
Closing Date
The Obama-Chesky Scholarship application is currently closed. Please bookmark this page or frequently visit the official website of the Obama Foundation to receive updates on the next application cycle.
Contact Details
Have more questions regarding the program that we did not cover here? No worries! Reach out to Scholarship America as a co-organizer of this scholarship at obama-chesky-scholarship@scholarshipamerica.org for a spot-on solution. The answers you need will arrive in your email soon.
The Obama-Chesky Scholarship Official Website
Visit www.obama.org to apply! Also, make sure to invite your friends or recommend the scholarship to those you think might benefit from the generous award.
4 Essential Obama-Chesky Scholarship Strategies as Told by Past Winners
As you may already know, this program looks for applicants who are committed to volunteering in their communities, have leadership experience, and have grown personally as a result of their volunteer work. Therefore, you should highlight these attributes in your application to improve your chances of winning the prize.
Here are the tried-and-true strategies as told by past winners:
1. Establish a Proven Record of Volunteerism
The best method to maximize your chances of receiving this scholarship is to have a long history of volunteer work in the community. In fact, it will be extremely difficult to be awarded any public service scholarships if you do not have a history of significant and committed community involvement.
For instance, Paulina Morales, a government student at Bowdoin College, has a distinguished track record of community service throughout her academic career.
It entails advocating for immigrant rights at the Texas State Legislature, participating in community outreach for a number of Dallas school board campaigns, and guiding Hispanic high school students through the college application procedure.
What can be inferred from this is that the Obama Foundation expects you to demonstrate a serious dedication to assisting others. It implies that they favor applicants who have long-term, consistent public service experience.
Hence, try volunteering frequently if it has been a very long time since you last did community service.
2. Helping People or Place You Care About
An essential component of this scholarship is a desire to assist others. The committee is looking for students who have compelling motivations for volunteering. We hope you chose to volunteer where you did for significant reasons.
Do you intend to continue working in this industry? Did you value this place when you were a child?
Let us take a look at Katie Riedy’s experience, a University of Rhode Island student majoring in communication studies. Since coming out in high school, Riedy has been engaged in problems relating to LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, even before enrolling, she had been volunteering at the Gender and Sexuality Center.
Now is your turn. Explain your motivations in your application, or ask a third party to do so in your letter of recommendation.
3. Leadership Experience
The scholarship committee is seeking leaders because, as was already indicated, they believe they have a greater impact on the world.
Gaining increasing levels of responsibility over time, creating or overseeing the planning of a new project, and managing other volunteers are all examples of how you can demonstrate leadership via your experiences in public service.
Laith Awad, a student at the University of Rochester Medical Center specializing in health, behavior, and society, has held executive positions in a number of student organizations throughout his stay at the university.
Awad has also helped by leading workshops on organic chemistry and serving as a Leadership Ambassador for the university community.
Similar to Awad, you can emphasize your leadership experience on your application to set yourself out from the competition. Most importantly, make sure that your core interests line up with your leadership experience.
4. Have Solid Academics
The people looking over your application are particularly interested in the volunteer work you have done, but they also want to give the scholarships to deserving students. As you can see, a minimum GPA is necessary for this scholarship. Therefore, your chances of winning are increased by having superior grades.
For instance, Riedy consistently makes the Dean’s List and maintains a 3.93 GPA. Although your academic record might not be as strong as Riedy’s, you can improve it to make sure that you are one of the upcoming 100 Obama-Chesky Scholarship recipients!
Looking for other resources for college students? These scholarships may be perfect for you:
