From Right: Nicolas Depetris SEAS'27, Chanel Matsumoto CC'27, Julissa Hernandez Alejandre CC'27, Albaraa Gebril CC'27
The Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service is a two-year leadership initiative that invests in undergraduates who are driven by a commitment to social impact and who have already taken active roles in supporting their communities. The program removes financial and structural barriers that often limit access to public service careers by pairing generous funding with experiential learning and long-term mentorship. At its core, 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 their careers in public service.”
The scholarship unfolds over two academic years, during which time participants take part in programming that emphasizes ethical leadership, cross-community dialogue, and exploration through travel and professional experience. Together, these elements are designed to help students clarify their purpose, strengthen their leadership skills, and prepare for sustained engagement in public-minded work.
Meet Columbia’s four newly minted Scholars!
Nicolás Depetris SEAS’27 is a Civil Engineering major passionate about advancing sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Born in Miami, Florida, and raised in Córdoba, Argentina, Nicolas founded the MDC EcoFuture Initiative, a large-scale recycling program engaging thousands of students across Miami-Dade County to reduce single-use plastic waste. As a Voyager scholar, he plans to embark on a four-month independent research project on sustainable energy infrastructure financing around the world, exploring how each country is funding its transition to clean energy, the role that public-private partnerships play in accelerating renewable deployment, and how innovative financing models can unlock projects in under-resourced regions.
Albaraa Gebril CC’27 is a Psychology major focusing on how faith, culture, and clinical science shape addiction and mental health. At Columbia, he conducts research in the CyberPsych Lab, contributing to manuscripts on psychosis-proneness, autism, compulsive behaviors, alexithymia, depression, disability, and transdiagnostic mechanisms in mental illness. As a Global Thought Scholar, he led an interreligious study on religiosity, shame, and recovery and presented his findings at Columbia’s Global Thought Research Symposium. As a Voyager scholar, he hopes to strengthen his ability to translate lived experience and clinical research into public systems that treat culture and faith as integral resources for healing.
Julissa Hernandez Alejandre CC’27 is an Ethnicity and Race major and first-generation college student. At Columbia, she has been recognized as a Kluge Scholar and has served as President of Sabor, the university’s first Latine dance troupe. During her time with Sabor, Julissa organized and launched Reléve, a weekend-long college immersion program that brings underrepresented high school students from the Harlem and Bronx communities to campus for college-access workshops and activities. She also works with the Double Discovery Center, supporting its mission to expand access to higher education for underserved youth.
Chanel Matsumoto CC'27 studies Political Science and Human Rights, with interests in the Indo-Pacific, national security, and community-centered approaches to justice. Born and raised in Hawai‘i, her commitment to public service is shaped by her Native Hawaiian heritage and early work on issues such as housing, policing, and government accountability. For her Voyager Summer Voyage, Chanel plans to travel to Portugal, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Her project includes studying Indigenous policy and democratic resilience in Taiwan and learning from Vietnam’s post-conflict development and community-driven environmental innovation.
For more information about the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship, please reach out to the office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.