Students Earn Voyager Scholarships from the Obama Foundation

As the first member of her family to attend college, Anabel Varghese ’24 wanted to find ways to help other first-generation college students succeed. And Jimena Saavedra ’26 wanted to learn more about the field of international law as she prepared to apply to law school. As recipients of Voyager Scholarships from the Obama Foundation, both Varghese and Saavedra obtained the help they need to pursue their passions.

Varghese, an anthropology major from Grand Rapids, MI, was working at Vassar’s First Generation/Low Income (FLI) office in 2022 when FLI Director Michelle Quock suggested that she apply for the Obama Scholarship, which provides up to two years of college costs, as well as a $10,000 stipend for a summer project in public service. Using the funds to take part in a study last summer at the University of Chicago, she helped to track the concerns and challenges voiced by low-income high school students applying for college. Varghese said, “We tracked their concerns about belonging in college, coping with monetary stresses, and other challenges.”

Since graduating, Varghese has continued working as a trainer of student mentors for Vassar’s Exploring College program, which helps local low-income high school students learn more about the college experience.

Saavedra, an international studies major from Newark, NJ, said Varghese also played a key role in convincing her to pursue the Obama Voyager award last year. “I knew Anabel when I was enrolled in the FLI program and asked her about the [Obama] award, and she gave me the final push I needed to apply,” she said. “One of the things I love most about Vassar is the support systems like FLI that provide such a sense of community.”

Saavedra and 99 other recipients later received their scholarships at a ceremony at the Obama Foundation headquarters in Chicago this past December. She said she was inspired by the former President’s advice. “He talked about pluralism, about talking and working with people who think differently than we do,” she said. “He asked us to ignore all the shouting that’s going on right now and listen, and he urged us to use storytelling to help us understand different perspectives.”

Saavedra also said she hadn’t decided how to use the funds for her project next summer but was considering an internship – either virtually or in person – on international law in Switzerland. “I’m really excited that this has happened to me,” she said, “and I hope others can see the opportunities available to us at Vassar.”