Voyager Scholarship – UofL News Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:59:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Six UofL grads win Fulbrights /post/uofltoday/six-uofl-grads-win-fulbrights/ Tue, 13 Jun 2023 11:00:06 +0000 /?p=58740 A two-time captain of theis among this year’s sixgrantees from the University of Louisville.
The grantees named this spring add to an impressive list of winners. With 168 total since 2001, UofL has had more student Fulbrights than all Kentucky public higher education institutions.
The UofL Fulbright winners were awarded grants to teach English abroad in the Slovak Republic, Spain and Jordan and to do research in Germany and the Netherlands.
The, administered by the Department of State’s Bureau of ֱal and Cultural Affairs, is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program.
“This year’s scholars have earned opportunities here and abroad that will change their lives and help them make a positive difference,” said Bethany Smith, director of UofL’s National & International Scholarships office. “I am so proud of these talented and hard-working young people, and of the way our campus community comes together to support, challenge and mentor these outstanding students.”
The 2023 Fulbright awardees are:
English Teaching Assistantships
, UofL 2022 graduate, to the Slovak Republic. He is from Owensboro, Kentucky.
, of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and , of Covington, both UofL 2023 graduates, to Spain.
, UofL 2023 graduate, of Louisville, to Jordan, the country from which her family emigrated when she was in sixth grade.
Research
, UofL 2023 graduate, to the Netherlands to pursue a master’s degree in conservation and restoration ecology at Radboud University/Nijmegen. Cicha, two-time captain of the Women’s D1 Rowing team, is from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
, UofL 2023 graduate, to Germany to develop a novel blood pump for pediatric and adult patients with heart disease at the Rhine-Westphalia Technical University of Aachen. McLellan is from Lexington, Kentucky.
Other prestigious scholars
UofL chemical engineering majorwon two prestigious scholarships for juniors.
He was the 2023 Kentucky recipient of the, the premier graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the United States. He was also one oftwo UofL juniors to be awarded a Barry Goldwater Scholarshipto pursue a research career in natural science, mathematics or engineering. The other
Goldwater Scholarship winner was School of Nursing studentMadeline Martinez.
Additionally, two UofL students were the first recipients of awards that debuted for 2023.
Afi Tagnedji, a May 2023 graduate in biochemistry, was one of 25 students in the United States awarded the first. The fellowship, which focuses on building a network of the next generation of scientists and technologists, was awarded to 100 students total from the United States, Japan, Australia and India. She was the only fellow from a Kentucky university.
, a political science major, wasone of twoKentucky college students to be named to the inaugural cohort of 100 students who won afrom the Obama Foundation and Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb.
More on these scholars and winners of other prestigious academic scholarships can be found at.
]]> UofL junior wins inaugural Obama ‘Voyager Scholarship’ for public service /post/uofltoday/uofl-junior-wins-inaugural-obama-voyager-scholarship-for-public-service/ Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:41:08 +0000 /?p=57331 A University of Louisville junior is one of two Kentucky college students to win a from the Obama Foundation and Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb.

Mery Muluberehan, a political science major in the College of Art & Sciences, is part of a group of 100 U.S. college students named to the inaugural cohort of awardees. She is a Louisville native and graduate of duPont Manual High School.

Also called the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service, the award includes up to $25,000 a year for the students’ junior and senior years ($50,000 total) to alleviate the burden of college debt so the student can pursue a career in public service.

The student also receives a $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing for a “Summer Voyage” to pursue a summer work-travel experience between the junior and senior years in college.

After graduation, awardees will receive a $2,000 travel credit every year for 10 years (for a total of $20,000).

“It feels surreal to be a part of the inaugural cohort of Voyagers,” Muluberehan said. “I’m so excited to be given the opportunity to not only represent UofL, but our state of Kentucky as well.”

She said she hopes to study human rights law after graduation from UofL and also wants to use some of her travel money to work in education in her parents’ home country of Ethiopia.

At UofL, Muluberehan is also a recipient of the prestigious Woodford R. Porter Scholarship, awarded to Black/African American students who show a strong aspiration to succeed and give back to the community.

She credits her friend and roommate, Sara Teshome, with helping her succeed at UofL by supporting her dreams, and said UofL students are “some of the most amazing people” because of their drive, dedication and passion.

The winners of the Voyager Scholarship were announced in early September. They were chosen out of a pool of 1,800 applicants. The announcement and list of winners can be found .

“Michelle and I know that change only happens when ordinary people get involved, get engaged, and come together to create it,” said President Obama. “These young Voyagers believe in a fairer and more inclusive world, and they’re ready to help us address important challenges in new ways. I can’t wait to see what they accomplish through public service.”

The Voyager Scholarship was funded by a $100 million personal contribution from Chesky to the Obama Foundation.

“Through their stories, it’s clear that each of these Voyagers has a commitment to serving their communities, a deep curiosity about the world and big plans for the future,” said Chesky. “Traveling to new places and connecting with new people will help them turn those plans into reality and I can’t wait to see where they go from here.”

The inaugural cohort of Voyagers represent 35 states and territories and 70 colleges and universities.

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