Two University of Maryland students were named today as recipients of the Voyager Scholarship, which was established last year by former US President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama, as well as Airbnb Co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky, to help shape college juniors with demonstrated financial need into future leaders.
As “Voyagers,” Astrid Mendoza, a psychology major with a minor in human development, and Shreya Jha, an environmental science and policy major with minors in geospatial information science and history, will receive up to $50,000 in financial aid over two years, $10,000 stipends, and free housing from Airbnb to pursue a summer work-travel experience between their junior and senior years.
After graduation, they will be invited to attend a summit on public service leadership and a lecture series featuring a network of leaders, as well as get resources and support from the Obama Foundation’s global community.
“This scholarship will provide my family and I financial relief that will allow me to place better focus on my academic and professional pursuits,” said Mendoza, who lives in nearby Hyattsville, Md.
Mendoza plans to use the Voyager scholarship to return to her birthplace of La Union, El Salvador, to learn more about components of Latinx culture that contribute to the stigma around mental health issues.
Mendoza intends to pursue a Ph.D. degree in counseling, clinical, or school psychology after graduation, and eventually become a professional psychologist.
“In whichever area I end up in, I would love to lead community interventions and workshops aiming to serve underrepresented communities, especially undocumented, immigrant and Latinx populations,” she said.
Beyond getting “involved in work that bridges science, research, and policy through mutual aid and extension efforts,” and working to address food hunger and environmental injustice, Jha is still assessing her possibilities for Voyager-sponsored travel and career-related plans. But that’s one of the reasons she’s so happy for her Voyager Scholarship.
“Receiving this scholarship means getting the unbelievable opportunity to meet and learn from different leaders, communities and organizations who share my passion for public service,” said Jha, who hails from Montgomery County, Md. “It allows me to travel and gain these experiences hands-on through the Summer Voyage, and it makes my future in academia more of a possibility. It opens up so many doors that I didn’t even see as a possibility for myself.”
