UIC students earn Voyager Scholarships for Public Service from Obama Foundation

For the second year in a row, two University of Illinois Chicago students have been granted Voyager Scholarships for Public Service, designed for college juniors planning to pursue careers in public service.

Jose Saltos Potes, majoring in biological sciences, and Essence-Jade Gatheright, majoring in criminology, law and justice, were two of 100 students chosen from 60 colleges and universities nationwide for the 2024-26 cohort.

The Voyager Scholarship, now in its third year, is an initiative created by the Obama Foundation with $100 million in funding from Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky.

The academic scholarship is meant to inspire, empower and connect the next generation of leaders in public service. This two-year program offers financial aid, an immersive work-travel experienceand access to a strong network of Obama Foundation leaders and mentors.

"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," Barack Obama said in a press release. "The past two cohorts have shown tremendous passion, curiosityand collaboration - all while working hard across their college campuses. Today, as we welcome our third cohort of Voyagers, I'm more hopeful than ever that our future is in good hands."

En español

Voyagers receive up to $25,000 per year in financial aid for their junior and senior years as part of the scholarship. The foundation also gives each student a $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing while they pursue a Summer Voyage, a work-travel experiencein the summer between their junior and senior years.

The Obama Foundation will invite them to a fall summit to help define and inspire their public-service goals. Voyagers also will be invited to an ongoing speaker series that will give them access to a network of leaders.

Jose Saltos Potes: Passion for public health

After Saltos arrived in the United States from Ecuador with his family nearly three years ago, he began envisioning his future and turned his focus to UIC's medical program.

Saltos had just completed high school in Ecuador when his family was granted permanent residency in the United States. When he first arrived, he found support in learning about the U.S. educational system through UIC's Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services, or LARES, which helped him apply to UIC. He is also part of the Honors College.

"LARES provided me with advice, and they were my first contact with the university when I came here," Saltos said. "Thanks to them, I started at UIC."

He learned of the Voyager Scholarship through his connection with another UIC group, the Medicina Scholars program in the Hispanic Center of Excellence, which aligned with his dream of becoming a doctor and serving the Latino community.

He also credited UIC's Latin@s Gaining Access to Networks for Advancement in Science, or L@s GANAS, with giving him the ability to work on research projects as an undergraduate.

This background helped him solidify his idea for his Voyager's project:to focus on mental health issues in the LGBTQ-Latino community.

"What I want to do is mostly in mental health for minorities because I know that a lot of minorities don't have access to mental health resources, and some of them don't even know they can access this," he said.

As a Voyager, he is looking forward to receiving the guidance of an extensive community of experts. He hopes they can help direct him toward his dream of going to medical school and providing medical assistance through research, clinical workor public health efforts.

"It is a great opportunity, especially because it is called the Voyager Scholarship. It is a program that guides you to do your own project and your own thing," Saltos said.

Essence-Jade Gatheright: Advocate for social justice

When Gatheright decided to major in criminology, law and justice at the University of Illinois Chicago, she drew on her background as a community activist in her Roseland neighborhood on the city's Far South Side.

Gatheright said her past activism stemmed from her desire to create sustainable, equitable communities for Chicago's people of color and marginalized people.

As a student ambassador with the environmental advocacy group Sunrise Movement Chicago, Gatheright focused on environmental justice. She also volunteered with the Chicago Teacher's Union during strikes to show solidarity and support for teachers. Plus,she is an alum of the Chicago Freedom School, where she serves as the program coordinator and creator of its Youth Organizing Program.

During the pandemic, Gatheright helped form the group Chi Student Pandemic Response to advocate for student resources, a safe return to schooland a "pass" grading system to ensure students impacted by COVID-19 would not have to worry about their grades dropping.

"I have a very strong passion for social justice," she said.

Gatheright, a junior, transferred to UIC this semester from Kennedy-King College, where she earned her associate degree in computer information science. She chose UIC to continue working with community organizations. She learned about the college from her sister, an alum.

Gatheright aims to become a lawyer and focus on policy reform and restorative justice in Black and brown communities.

"I want to do that work of reimagining what justice looks like and ensuring that people who have been victims of the system can now benefit from it in the future," Gatheright said.

She expressed appreciation for the opportunity and said she looks forward to the possibility of meeting the former President and First Lady in the future. Obama's election to the White House was a momentous event in her community and home, she remembered, especially because her grandparents left the South during the Great Migration.

"I remember the weight it held," Gatheright said.

When she learned she had won the scholarship, she was pleasantly "shocked."

"Being a Voyager reaffirmed for me not only my passion and interest but also just the work I am capable of doing," Gatheright said. "It's definitely a great honor."