Iman Ahmad ’27 Awarded Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship – Dartmouth
The government major is interested in humanitarian and civil rights law.
Iman Ahmad ’27, a government major interested in such issues as civil rights and immigration, has been awarded a Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service.
Established by former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and Brian Chesky, the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, the scholarships through The Obama Foundation provide opportunities for young people to enter public service through a two-year program focusing on education, mentoring, and career development.
Students awarded a Voyager Scholarship receive up to $50,000 toward college expenses over their junior and senior years and $10,000 and free housing for a self-designed work-travel experience, or “summer voyage.” They also have access to a network of advisers and other support as they define their public service journeys.
I want to help anyone whose rights are being violated or overlooked. That includes both documented and undocumented immigrants—everyone deserves fairness and protection under the law.
Ahmad is the third Dartmouth student to receive the scholarship.
“It’s wonderful to have a Voyager Scholar named at Dartmouth again this year—a testament to Iman’s commitment to public service and to the interdisciplinary strengths of her preparation on campus,” says Christie Harner, the associate dean of undergraduate education for fellowships and scholars programs.
Ahmad, who is from Coral Gables, Fla., is majoring in government, with a minor in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. She plans to go to law school with a focus on humanitarian and civil rights law. She applied for the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship, she says, because she thought it “would be a good opportunity.”
Currently studying for a term at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Ahmad traces her interest in immigration law to her family. “My parents are immigrants, so l’ve been aware of immigration issues for as long as I can remember,” she says.
“I want to help anyone whose rights are being violated or overlooked. That includes both documented and undocumented immigrants— everyone deserves fairness and protection under the law,” she says.
Ahmad chose to attend Dartmouth because of “its tight-knit community and the unique experience it offers. I love the traditions, and it has been a wonderful place to grow both personally and academically.”
For her Summer Voyager program, she hopes to work with an international nongovernmental organization that focuses on immigration or human rights, working with displaced communities. “I want to gain firsthand experience that will guide the way I approach advocacy and law in the future,” she says.
A particular influence was the Dartmouth GOVT 95: Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Policy class taught by Lisa Baldez, a professor of government, as part of the Washington, D.C.,Off-Campus Program, Ahmad says.
The class was a revelation, Ahmad says, because it broadened her ideas of what it means to enjoy and confer human rights. Individual rights include not only free speech and freedom from repression, but also the rights that people might overlook, such as the right to rest and reasonable limits on working hours.
“The course made me think critically about the gap between the rights people should have and the reality of who actually gets to experience them. It deepened my interest in law as a way to help close that gap,” Ahmad says.
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Students interested in learning about scholarship opportunities can visit the Fellowships Office.
The Office of Communications can be reached at office.of.communications@dartmouth.edu.
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