Vinaya Sivakumar

Vinaya Sivakumar (’27, Cognitive Science/Interdisciplinary Studies) is committed to addressing the challenges posed by AI and social media, with a focus on accountability and safeguards. Growing up using social media as a teenage girl, she witnessed firsthand the harms it could cause to herself, her friends, and potentially to her younger brother. This experience has ignited her passion to ensure what she faced online would never happen again. She has since engaged in legislative lobbying, grassroots advocacy, and research at the intersection of technology, ethics, and safety. As an Obama-Chesky […]

Janessa Reyes

Janessa Reyes (‘27, Asian American & Asian Diaspora Studies), was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. As a proud granddaughter to two Khmer Rouge genocide survivors and daughter of a single mother, her upbringing greatly fuels her passions of advocacy for immigrant and refugee rights, affordable housing, education equity, and criminal justice reform. Janessa aims to build a career in public service that is built upon advocating for vulnerable communities and making meaningful contributions to her desired issue areas. Through the Voyager Scholarship, Janessa hopes to address the impacts […]

Annabel Gensler

Annabel Gensler (‘27, Political Science) is passionate about improving access to legal aid and information for underserved communities. Through interning at the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, she worked on white-collar crime cases and investigations, which sparked her interest in pursuing a legal career in public service. She has also worked actively with JusticeCorps, and directly assisted individuals navigating eviction, restraining orders, and family law matters. In the future, she hopes to launch her own nonprofit Know Your Rights legal aid clinic and expand its reach nationwide to ensure equitable […]

Julieth Lara

Julieth Lara (’26, Social Welfare & Public Policy), a transfer student from Mountain View, CA, is passionate about developing equitable sexual health systems at the intersection of public policy and public health. She is particularly driven to address disparities in reproductive and HIV care experienced by sexual and gender minorities. Julieth aims to build a career in academic research and policymaking, advocating for meaningful change within their communities and beyond. Through the Voyager Scholarship, Julieth will explore these interests further and forge connections to advance her vision.

Jon Sullivan

Jon Sullivan (’25 Sociology) is interested in studying the potential futures of Artificial Intelligence and Automation, and how these technological advances will impact the working class. They plan to pursue a PhD in Sociology with the goal of teaching at a community college. Outside of research, Jon is very active in the Laney Chapter of the Poor People’s Campaign and the Wood Street Commons, both of which seek to end poverty and homelessness by organizing people most affected. They will be using the Voyager Scholarship to collaboratively work with other […]

Drexler Madamba

Drexler Madamba (’25, History and Public Policy) was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. His academic interest is in the History of Education Policy in the United States from the 1920s to 1940s. While interning with Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano (D-El Monte, CA), he was introduced to alternative education for at-risk youth, which sparked a curiosity about Education and Alternative Learning. Drexler aspires to pursue a career within the Education/Legal field and hopes to become a professor. For the next two years, he is focusing on his research, experiencing different […]