Obama Foundation recognizes Skidmore student

Winner of Voyager Scholarship for Public Service Willa Flink ’25, a history major and arts administration minor from Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the first Skidmore student to receive the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service.

The award was created by Barack and Michelle Obama and Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky. It aims to help shape future leaders eager to take on some of the world’s biggest challenges. Willa intends to work toward decolonizing museums and repatriating stolen and displaced artifacts.

“I feel so grateful that the Obama Foundation appreciated my eclectic combination of service work contributing to art repatriation efforts, queer activism, border activism exhibits, and more,” Willa said. “The scholarship will help alleviate the financial burden of college and support my hopes to work in the nonprofit social justice/arts world post-grad!”

Willa spent the summer of 2023 as an archival research and graphic design intern at North Star Underground Railroad Museum in Ausable Chasm, New York, through Skidmore’s Summer Experience Fund.

As part of the scholarship, Willa will receive up to $50,000 toward school expenses, as well as a $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing to pursue a summer work-travel experience between their junior and senior year of college.