Andrew West/Courtesy photo

OBAMA FOUNDATION NEWS RELEASE

The Obama Foundation has announced that Los Alamos High School alumnus Andrew West, is a recipient of its recently launched Voyagers scholarship program, which provides a transformational combination of barrier-reducing financial aid, an immersive work-travel experience, and access to a robust network of leaders and mentors. 

Andrew is entering his third year at Yale University where he studies statistics and data science. As a statistics and data science major, Andrew is particularly interested in exploring how technology can be used to promote environmental and social justice. He also intends to study how policy can expand access to these tools and prevent tech from being weaponized against marginalized groups in the form of surveillance or algorithmic discrimination. He was chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants for his potential and visions for our future. 

As a Voyager, these students will receive up to $50,000 in financial aid, a $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing to pursue a summer work-travel experience the summer following their junior year, and the opportunity to meet with President Obama and Brian Chesky to talk about how to bridge divides and hear how they see the roles of empathy and understanding in leadership and public service. 

Funded by a $100 million personal contribution from Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky to the Obama Foundation, the highly selective Voyager Scholarship is a two-year program for students in their junior and senior years of college from across the United States. The second cohort of Voyagers (the scholarship recipients) represent 33 states and territories, including New Mexico, and 75 colleges and universities.