A North Dakota State University student has been awarded a coveted scholarship that provides substantial financial aid as well as opportunity to travel across the world.
Joelle Hannam, a junior at NDSU from Montgomery, Alabama, was awarded the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship.
The competitive scholarship is presented to 100 rising college juniors nationwide who aim to pursue a career in public service and was created by former President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, and Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb.
According to an NDSU official, Hannam is the sole North Dakota student named a recipient this year.
She saw the chance as intriguing, and the money component as relieving.
“That just allows me to focus on my schoolwork more,” she said.
For their junior and senior years, the students get up to $50,000 in financial aid, as well as a $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing to pursue a summer work-travel adventure before beginning their senior year.
Following graduation, the students will receive a $2,000 Airbnb travel credit each year for the next ten years, allowing them to continue creating new connections.
In addition, they are invited to an ongoing speaker series as well as an annual fall conference to help them define their public service trajectory.
“This allows me to get my feet into the door for public service and to be able to serve communities better, as well,” Hannam said.
She heard former President Obama speak a few months ago at a gathering for scholarship recipients, which motivated her to always listen to opinions other than her own.
“He’s just figured out how to be able to cross the divides across different viewpoints, different cultures just by listening,” she said.
Hannam applied for the scholarship after receiving encouragement from her father. It entailed writing about her ideas and ideals, performing acts of public service, and creating a video about her future hopes.
She believes that her two years of volunteer work with AmeriCorps at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity between high school and college helped seal the deal.
Hannam is pursuing double majors in psychology and sociology at NDSU to further her interest in mental health.
She is also conducting research with Katherine Duggan, an assistant professor of health and social psychology at NDSU, on the socioeconomic characteristics associated with sleep and daytime health behaviors, as well as the impact of sleep on heart health.
Hannam, according to Duggan, takes her studies seriously and is passionate about ensuring that scientific findings reach individuals who can benefit.
“I am lucky to have Joelle working in my lab for the next few years while she explores these opportunities,” Duggan said.
Hannam volunteers for Bridges International, an NDSU program that connects and engages with international students, in addition to her schoolwork and research.
Hannam intends to pursue doctoral studies in counseling after finishing her undergraduate studies.