Victoria Choe CC’24, a history major, is one of 20 students selected as a Key into Public Service Scholar by The Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society. The award recognizes students who have demonstrated interest in working in the public sector and possess a strong academic record in the arts, humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences.
Chosen from over 900 applicants attending chapter institutions across the nation, each scholar will receive a $5,000 undergraduate scholarship and take part in a conference convening in late June to provide them with training, mentoring, and reflection on pathways into active citizenship. Inspired by many Phi Beta Kappa members who have shaped the course of our nation through local, state, and federal service, the award highlights specific pathways for liberal arts and graduates seeking public sector careers.
Victoria currently serves as a peer advisor for first-generation first-year students, a co-chair for the Asian Family Tree (a part of the Columbia Mentoring Initiative), and is a mentor in SOON, a Christian fellowship group. Outside Columbia, she has interned at the Manhattan District Attorney's office and is currently interning at the Department of Investigations. This summer, she will continue volunteering at the Remedy Project, a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of incarcerated individuals. After graduation, she hopes to attend law school so that she can do legal work in the public interest field. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running, and writing poetry.
“The Society applauds the Service Scholars for their intellectual curiosity, community engagement, and dedication to the common good” says Phi Beta Kappa Secretary Frederick M. Lawrence. “The well-rounded education these outstanding students are pursuing will prepare them well for a meaningful, productive, and engaged life in public service. We look forward to the contributions each member of the 2023 Key into Public Service Class will make to the nation in the years ahead.”
For more information about the scholarship and links to individual biographies of the recipients, please visit pbk.org/KeyintoPublicService.