UB undergraduate receives Obama Foundation Voyager Scholarship

Aisha Makama first stumbled upon the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service in a YouTube video she watched during her senior year at Niagara Falls High School. As she watched a young Black girl talk about her college dreams, she felt inspired and empowered. “It was a reminder that people who look like me could achieve great things, even on a national scale,” Makama recalls.

In the spring of her sophomore year at UB, Makama set up a tripod and filmed her own video about how she would soon change the world. It wasn’t just about the financial relief a scholarship would bring: It was about representation and possibility. “Watching that video made me realize that scholarships like the Obama-Chesky were not just about funding education but about investing in leaders who want to make a difference,” she says.

 Motivated to think bigger about combining her passions for science, advocacy and service into something meaningful that reflected her heritage, she recorded herself discussing her dream of developing STEM education in West Africa and submitted her application.

This dream became reality this summer when she received a congratulatory email just before the start of her junior year at UB.

Administered by the Obama Foundation and funded by a $100 million contribution from Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, the scholarship provides $25,000 per year in “last dollar” financial aid for students in their junior and senior years of college, as well as a $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing to pursue a summer work-travel experience.

For Makama, scholarship means sharing her passion for education with young girls on the other side of the world.

A biochemistry and political science double major, Makama aims to highlight the overlap of her fields, which she says have become less distinct in today’s political climate. “Science influences policy decisions on health care, funding and education, while politics shapes how scientific discoveries are applied and who benefits from them,” she explains. “Understanding both perspectives allows me to approach problems holistically by combining scientific knowledge with policy insight to ensure that advancements in research lead to equitable and evidence-based solutions.”

“I want to make a difference in more ways than just one, and I know I am well-equipped to be a change-maker by studying these fields,” she said.

Patrick McDevitt, associate dean of undergraduate education and the Honors College, supervised Makama in the Honors College Think Tank course. He says she’s already made an impact on those who have seen her dedication to coursework.

“Aisha is a Presidential Scholarship winner, UB’s most competitive merit award. In her first semester, Aisha participated in HON 101, a weekly seminar for incoming Presidential Scholars. We debate the nature of leadership, the purpose of higher education and the role of universities in the world, among other things. Aisha was invariably well-prepared, engaged and actively involved in almost every discussion,” McDevitt says.

Her go-to response to a problem — “Who’s working on this and how can I contribute?” — is at the core of the Obama-Chesky scholarship’s ethos, he notes.

Makama credits UB’s experiential learning opportunities for helping her gain research experience that will aid in her summer work in Africa. She has traveled internationally, completing a semester abroad in Prague with a focus on nationalism and international cooperation, and has held political internships at home with concentrations in public policy and advocacy.

She has also connected with cancer researchers at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and with social science researchers in UB’s Department of Communication to develop practical skills. Each of these experiences, she says, has reinforced her desire to become a physician-scientist who not only advances medicine but also advocates for equitable access to scientific education and health care globally.

The scholarship will be the most hands-on experience she can get while still being a university student, she notes. “I will get to apply the knowledge I gained as a college student to the world and make a positive impact and use the experience to inform how I expand my knowledge as a learner next year,” she says.

This expansion came naturally as Makama reflected on the systemic challenges she faced growing up in Nigeria, and how difficulties with outdated curricula and lack of mentorship are shared throughout the region. Now planning to travel to neighboring West African countries, she hopes to bring new ideas to schools like those she attended as a child to create better learning opportunities for local students and equip young minds to become leaders and change-makers.

“My goal is to ensure that STEM education is accessible to all students, regardless of their identity. I want to see students globally able to think intellectually, design STEM projects of their own choosing and change the world,” Makama says.

The scholarship now allows her to bring these passions to a wider group of students, but that initial drive, she says, came from the experiences she’s had at UB.

“I was able to explore different majors and minors with the help of my advisers, ensuring I chose the best one for me,” she says. “I have also been awarded many experiential learning scholarships, participated in a study abroad program and am involved in research,” all of which she says has helped her develop research interests that link her programs.

“UB has and will continue to shape my plans in a positive light,” she says.