West Orange Student Earns Prestigious Obama Foundation Scholarship

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A college student from West Orange has nailed down a prestigious scholarship from the Obama Foundation, which she plans to use to pursue a career in public service.

On Tuesday, former president Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, and Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky announced that 100 college juniors from across the nation have earned a Voyager Scholarship.

The future leaders-on-the-rise include Marley Dias of West Orange, who is currently attending Harvard.

Many West Orange residents may recognize Dias from her #1000BlackGirlBooks project, which aims to increase representation and diversity in literature – and beyond. See Related: Here’s How #BlackGirlBooks Made This New Jersey Teen Famous

Dias has since notched a wide assortment of other achievements such as becoming an author, speaking at the White House alongside Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, earning a place on the Forbes “30 Under 30” list, and receiving the Smithsonian Ingenuity Award.

What does she plan to do with her Voyager Scholarship?

“I plan to focus on the book banning crisis across the United States in order to protect access to diverse and essential stories,” wrote Dias, a sociology and African & African American studies major.

See the full list of winners here.

‘A PASSION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE’

What is the Voyager Scholarship? According to the Obama Foundation website:

“The Voyager Scholarship Program is a two-year, leadership development and scholarship program. Through a transformational combination of barrier-reducing financial aid, an immersive work-travel experience, and a robust network of leaders and mentors, the Voyager Scholarship is designed to inspire, empower, and connect the next generation of leaders and equip them with the tools and resources they need to launch their careers in public service.”

The awardees – including Dias – will each get the chance to meet with Obama and Chesky, as well as the following benefits:

• Up to $50,000 in financial aid
• Funding for a work-travel experience
• A 10-year travel stipend
• Mentorship through a network of leaders

The scholarship is funded by a $100 million personal contribution from Chesky to the Obama Foundation.

Other third-cohort winners from New Jersey and their plans for the future include:

• Hiu Bella Kwok of Princeton (Temple University, major in criminal justice; minor in women’s studies) – “I plan to focus on sexual violence advocacy to ensure all survivors get equal access to support services and justice.”
• Denia Brielle Smith of Belle Mead (American University, major in political science with concentration in gender, race, politics; minor in African American studies; certificate in advanced leadership studies) – “I plan to focus on the intersections of social policy and pedagogy to advance racial and gender equity for young women of color in legal systems.”
• Dylan Cawley of Long Valley (Duke University, major in public policy and environmental science; minor in inequality studies) – “I plan to support intersectional climate resilience across the United States, using new investments and risk analysis as tools to counteract systemic injustice.”
• Christopher Byrnes of Sparta (Lafayette College, major in government & law and Asian studies; minor in data science) – “I plan to focus on evidence-based policymaking to improve democratic governance across the globe, particularly in East Asia.”
• Jimena Saavedra of Newark (Vassar College, major in international studies, concentration in political science) – “I plan to focus on strengthening my understanding of perspectives within global politics to ensure peacebuilding processes that incorporate the concerns of marginalized communities.”

“When Michelle, Brian, and I launched the Voyager Scholarship in 2022, we were excited to see what young people with a passion for public service could do when given the right support,” Obama said.

“The past two cohorts have shown tremendous passion, curiosity, and collaboration – all while working hard across their college campuses,” the former president added. “Today, as we welcome our third cohort of Voyagers, I’m more hopeful than ever that our future is in good hands.”

The new cohort consists of 100 students from 44 states and territories, representing 88 colleges and universities across the nation. It includes Voyagers from American Samoa, Guam, and South Carolina: states and territories that have not been represented previously.

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