Three Duke Students Awarded the Voyager Scholarship

Duke Today

Three Duke Students Awarded the Voyager Scholarship

Duke class of 2026 students Luna Abadia, Dylan Cawley and Henry Stephens IV have received the Voyager Scholarship. Also referred to as the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service, the program offers funding and leadership training to students committed to serving their communities.

From Portland, Ore., Luna Abadia is a public policy major interested in emerging tech policy, political economics and climate mobility. She has served as an intern for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, as well as a delegate for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

Abadia recently finished a four-year term on the youth advisory board for Plan International, which involved gender and digital human rights advocacy efforts in collaboration with the White House, Department of State and United Nations Agencies. On campus, Abadia has been involved with the Nicholas School of the Environment, the Cyber Policy Lab and Duke PorColombia.

Abadia also has a flair for languages; she is fluent in Spanish, proficient in Japanese and is currently learning Italian.

Public policy major Dylan Cawley is a cadet captain in the Air Force ROTC at Duke. Originally from Long Valley, New Jersey, he was elected as Duke Student Government Speaker of the Senate, a Rachel Carson Council fellow, vice president of the Undergraduate Environmental Union,and Hart Leadership Program Fellow.

Prior to arriving to Duke, Cawley took a gap year to join a hand crew fighting wildland fires in Northern California. Upon graduation, he will commission into the U.S. Air Force and hopes to further his studies on climate change to protect homeland security. Cawley plans to eventually support a government environmental organization to improve and enhance science-informed public policy.

Originally from Grovetown, Ga., Henry Stephens IV is majoring in sociology, with a minor in political science. On campus, he leads and serves organizations, such as the Undergraduate Student Advisory Board, Duke Black Pre-Law Society, Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Society, Office of Alumni Engagement and President’s Cup Committee.

Most recently, as a summer analyst for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., he developed a $5 million grant proposal to implement a multi-faceted housing, education and career development program to address the racial wealth gap for Black and Latina women.

Eventually, Stephens plans to become a civil rights attorney and challenge discriminatory economic policies, such as racially biased credit scoring models and infringements on fair housing safeguards.

Created by Barack and Michelle Obama, and Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, the Voyager Scholarship supports students interested in pursuing careers in public service. It provides up to $50,000 of financial aid during students’ junior and senior years. The program also offers a $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing for rising seniors to pursue a summer experience, as well as other leadership and networking opportunities. Duke students who are considering applying to this program should contact a Nationally Competitive Scholarships adviser.

For more information about the Voyager Scholarship for Public Service, visit the Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows’ website.