Everlyn Balvoa Granda ’27 receives prestigious Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service

Everlyn Balvoa Granda ’27 has been named a 2025–27 recipient of the Voyager Scholarship, the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service from The Obama Foundation. 

The Voyager Scholarship was created by former President and First Lady Obama and Brian Chesky, CEO and co-founder of Airbnb, to help shape young leaders. Through a transformational combination of barrier-reducing financial aid, an immersive work-travel experience, and a robust network of leaders and mentors, the 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 careers in public service. The 2025–27 cohort includes 100 students from 34 states and territories and 71 colleges and universities. 

Balvoa Granda is the first Augsburg student to receive this prestigious award.

“As a first-generation student and a proud leader from an Ecuadorian household, this opportunity represents a powerful next step,” she said. “It’s a chance to broaden my impact, drive meaningful changes in my community, empower those around me, and continue advancing justice and equity across diverse communities.”

At Augsburg, Balvoa Granda is majoring in political science with concentrations in pre-law and public policy. She is an Interfaith Scholar and the current president of the Latin American students organization; previously, she chaired the student government elections committee and served as a student mentor for the university’s Emerging Leaders program. While studying abroad in Northern Ireland in the spring, she interned at Children in Crossfire, an organization that works with displaced children around the globe.  

Balvoa Granda has been involved in community and civic engagement since she was in high school in St. Paul, where she has served as a commissioner on the city’s Business Review Council, as a member of the St. Paul Youth Commission, as an intern in the City Attorney’s Office with a focus on immigration and refugee services, and as the volunteer outreach and logistics coordinator for an arts organization in the Frogtown and Rondo neighborhoods. 

“Everlyn has amassed a very impressive resume of public service,” said Jacqueline deVries, professor of history and director of major grants and fellowships in Augsburg’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity. “She has an unwavering commitment to furthering the common good and is eager to learn, grow, and take advantage of every possible opportunity to further her education. I am so impressed with her spirit.”

The two-year Voyager Scholarship program is open to students entering their junior year of college who demonstrate a passion for helping others, experience serving in or building community, and an expansive view of what’s possible through public service. 

Program benefits include:

• Up to $50,000 in financial aid: Students receive up to $25,000 per year in “last dollar” financial aid for their junior and senior years of college. This financial aid is intended to alleviate the burden of college debt so that students can afford to pursue a career in public service.

• Summer Voyage: Students receive a $10,000 stipend and Airbnb travel credits to pursue a summer work-travel experience between their junior and senior year of college. The students will design their own Summer Voyage to gain exposure to new communities and experience in a chosen field.

• Fall Summit: Students are invited to an annual summit to help define and inspire their public service journey.

• Network of Leaders: Throughout the program, students are invited to an ongoing speaker series, giving them access to a network of leaders. This network of leaders will expose them to new areas of service and innovations happening in their fields. After graduation, they will join The Obama Foundation’s global community, providing them with Foundation resources and programming. 

Learn more about the Voyager Scholarship.