Hailey Rose Dickinson, a junior at UW–Madison studying political science and Spanish, was halfway across the world in Australia for a study abroad program when she heard that she was a finalist for the prestigious Voyager Scholarship. Later while working as a page in Wisconsin’s capitol building, Dickinson received the exciting news that she was in.
“I was like, ‘Whoa,’” Dickinson recalls. “Now, looking at some of the people in the cohort, they have insane resumes and are doing some insane public service work. I’ve felt a lot of imposter syndrome with it, because I’m just a regular student.”
But Dickinson is far from a regular college student, with certificates in public policy, disability rights and services, and digital media analytics. She is passionate about voter education and access, especially in rural areas being from a rural town in Wisconsin herself.
During her college career, Dickinson has already set the stage for a career in the public service sector, organizing a campaign to educate more students at UW–Madison on the voting process and joining the executive board for a political activism group on campus.
“It’s really important to me to give voices to people who sometimes feel like they don’t have a voice to give, so I’ve always tried to pursue that,” Dickinson says.
The Voyager Scholarship, also known as the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service — founded by the Obamas and co-founder and CEO of Airbnb Brian Chesky — is awarded to rising college juniors interested in pursuing a career in public service. The program seeks students who have experience working with the community from different backgrounds throughout the United States. Students selected for the scholarship are awarded financial aid, assisted with travel experiences, and connected with people in the public service field.
Dickinson originally stumbled upon the scholarship program by accident while applying for academic scholarships. The application required supplemental materials to highlight why work in the public service sector is important. After applying in April, Dickinson was notified of her acceptance in July ahead of her junior year.
For the first year of the program, students are paired with a rising college senior to guide them through the process of choosing and planning a summer voyage, a requirement for the scholarship program.
“There are different methods I can go about it – I could do my own research, I could get an internship, I could conference hop,” Dickinson explains. “I can really find what suits me and helps better my understanding of public service in today’s environment.”
For Dickinson, she wants to apply to internship opportunities in major U.S. cities like Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., or New York City, which she says are all major hubs for public service. Her hope is for an immersive summer experience in the field.
After her summer voyage, Dickinson will be able to use her own experiences to mentor the next round of students in the program, allowing her to guide them through the process of figuring out a plan like she had during her junior year as a Voyager scholar.
Upon graduating from UW–Madison, Dickinson will also be awarded Airbnb credits every year for 10 years. The purpose of the Airbnb credit is to help students continue to travel after graduating, gaining more experience to use in a public service career.
“I think traveling and really learning from other cultures is a great way to take things back stateside and apply them,” Dickinson says. “I would love to have the opportunity to do that.”
For UW–Madison students interested in the scholarship program, Dickinson recommends applying. The program caters to student interests, ranging from increasing access to healthcare to equalizing opportunities to pursue higher education.
Even the application process was rewarding, Dickinson explains, as it prompted her to reflect on what she’s done and how she wants to apply it in her work moving forward.
“It’s only been a month, and it’s opened a lot of doors that I didn't expect it to,” Dickinson says. “It’s nice, because it’s at a time in college when I want to dive deeper into what I want to do or even go a new route that I didn’t think I had the option to do beforehand.”