T’myia Scott, a junior at Jacksonville University, is one of just 100 students in
the U.S. to be awarded the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship. She joins the ’23-’25
Voyager cohort, which includes students who represent more than 33 states and territories
and 74 colleges.
A Maryland native, Scott is a world languages and English double major with a minor
in psychology. She is currently enrolled in several pre-med courses in hopes of eventually
becoming a trauma surgeon in the United States Air Force.
Explaining her unique track of study, Scott shared, “I'm choosing to take a non-traditional
route and study a foreign language as my major, because I want to bridge the barrier
when treating patients whose primary language is not English. As a trauma surgeon,
my goal is to communicate with my patients without wasting crucial time.”
The two-year scholarship program is open to students entering their junior year of
college at an accredited four-year college or university in the U.S., who have demonstrated
a financial need and who are US citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients.
The 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, including:
● 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 free Airbnb housing 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.
● Fall Summit: Students are invited to an annual summit to help define and inspire
their public service journey. This year’s summit will take place in November.
● 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.
The Voyager Scholarship was created by the Obamas and Brian Chesky, Co-Founder and
CEO of Airbnb, to help shape leaders, based on their shared belief that exposure to
new places and experiences is critical to equipping the next generation to create
meaningful change.
Scott expressed appreciation for the scholarship, excitement at the opportunity to
travel abroad, and optimism for her future.
“I am grateful and honored to join the ’23-’25 Voyager cohort and am ecstatic at the
chance to travel wherever my heart desires, develop a career as a public servant within
the field of medicine and gain so many new experiences.“
