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The University of Chicago and the Obama Foundation introduce the 2023-2024 University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars from:
Assistant Director, Immigrant Integration Program
Fostering resilience and self-sufficiency for immigrant communities through educational and career advancement opportunities.
Aishat Agboola is dedicated to supporting immigrant communities’ advancement in the United States. As Assistant Director of the Immigrant Integration Program for the Diaspora Organization, Aishat addresses challenges related to immigrant integration such as language barriers, limited access to education and career opportunities, and a lack of support networks. The Diaspora Organization provides career development workshops and conducts policy advocacy for the diaspora community. Through the Scholars program, Aishat aims to deepen her partnerships with local community centers and educational institutions to expand her organization’s language and skill tutoring programs in a full-time capacity post-graduation. Long-term, Aishat aspires to establish immigrant resource centers in underserved communities, providing comprehensive support services and expanding scholarship programs for immigrant students.
Executive Director, Project SYNCEREBuilding a diverse pipeline of STEM talent poised to create transformative innovations.
Jason Coleman is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Project SYNCERE, a nonprofit organization committed to preparing underrepresented students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Since its inception in 2008, Project SYNCERE has impacted over 35,000 students on Chicago's South and West sides, through programs such as ENpowered, which introduces thousands of students annually to engineering concepts through interactive projects, and E-CADEMY, a unique year-round initiative preparing middle and high school students for post-secondary success in STEM. Jason oversees strategic planning, program development, financial stability, and community engagement, ensuring that the organization's mission aligns with the needs of the community by fostering a more diverse, innovative, and inclusive future in STEM. Through the Scholars program, Jason seeks to develop a sustainable program model that will expand Project SYNCERE’s reach to additional communities within and beyond Chicago.
Executive Secretariat, U.S. Department of Commerce
Creating the tools and processes to execute the Commerce Department’s Internet for All efforts to connect Americans and close the digital divide.
Scot Davies currently serves as the Executive Secretariat for the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth. In this role, Scot leads the effort to address the digital divide that affects approximately 40 million Americans who lack access to reliable high-speed internet, severely widening educational disparities and health outcomes. Since 2015, Scot has worked on telecommunications and technology policy initiatives through roles in the Department of Commerce’s Office of the Secretary, the White House, and the Intelligence Community. Through the Internet for All Initiative, Scot and his team are responsible for managing nearly $50 billion in federal funds aimed at deploying infrastructure, providing skills training, and ensuring access to essential technologies with a particular focus on rural, tribal, and communities of color. Scot aims to leverage the Scholars program to enhance his community engagement skills, using insights gained from the program to better connect with stakeholders and refine his approach to closing the digital divide.
Clinical Pharmacy Manager, Specialty Pharmacy, University of Chicago Medicine
Improving specialty medication access and affordability locally by helping patients navigate the health care system and systemically influencing health care policy.
Bernice Man is a residency-trained clinical pharmacist who works at the University of Chicago Medical Center, specializing in ensuring access to essential, high-cost medications for patients facing financial constraints. Bernice is particularly committed to finding solutions for uninsured or underinsured patients who struggle to receive specialty medications due to systemic issues within the health care system. Bernice is eager to use the Scholars program to break out of the insular world of pharmacies and leverage the systems thinking workshops and cross-sector collaborations to develop a sustainable framework that addresses these critical gaps in health care access. In the immediate term, Bernice plans to partner with local clinics, shelters, and community centers to establish secure and accessible medication delivery for patients without stable addresses. In the long term, she seeks to create a replicable model that can be adopted by other healthcare systems, ultimately improving access for vulnerable populations and contributing to a more equitable healthcare landscape.
Co-founder and Head of Data Science, Brocade Studio
Applying emerging practices in artificial intelligence and machine learning to support and improve the delivery of social services in the United States.
Nicolas Marlton is the co-founder and head of data science at Brocade Studio, a boutique consulting firm that uses data and analytics to help public institutions fulfill their responsibilities to serve their constituents. Leveraging his dual degree in Computer Science and Business, Brocade Studio’s projects have included using data science and Artificial Intelligence to detect bias in school district hiring practices and building algorithms to identify individuals who are eligible for, but not enrolled in, public benefits. Through the Scholars program, Nicolas aims to develop best practices for applying machine learning in public services, particularly in education and youth services. His ultimate goal is to create a more equitable, trustworthy, and responsive public service landscape by co-developing algorithms and governance practices with community members and the public service institutions that serve them to ensure ethical and equitable applications of Artificial Intelligence.
Founder & Chair, Trust Chicago
Democratizing philanthropy for young people to accelerate social justice giving in Chicago.
Harriet Spears is the Founder and Chair of Trust Chicago, a philanthropic initiative designed to democratize giving among young professionals to advance equity in Chicago. Under Harrriet’s leadership, Trust Chicago created a “giving circle” in which members pool resources to provide grants to small-to-medium nonprofits focused on racial justice, gender equity, and environmental justice. Trust Chicago emphasizes trust-based philanthropy by offering unrestricted funds, minimizing administrative burdens on grantees, and fostering deep community connections. Harriet is committed to scaling the initiative and creating systemic change through collective action in the philanthropic sector, with the goal of cultivating positive philanthropic habits among young people and expanding Trust Chicago's impact in the city.
Women’s Volleyball Coach, Elite Volleyball Program, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Michio Chicago Volleyball Academy
Increasing college access and opportunity for young women through volleyball.
Gabrielle (Gabby) Bennett is a collegiate and club volleyball coach dedicated to addressing equity gaps in college access and opportunities within the volleyball community. A former collegiate athlete from the South Side of Chicago, Gabby intimately understands the biases and barriers that limit opportunities for many talented players. Through her various coaching roles, Gabby invests in her players’ development both on and off the court, providing them with the technical training and resources necessary to excel. Drawing from her personal experience and deep engagement with her community, Gabby is uniquely positioned to create an organization focused on college access, leveraging the Scholars program to develop a strategic plan for building a sustainable enterprise that challenges existing perceptions of who can and cannot attend college.
Counseling Intern, Chicago Therapy and Wellness
Working to increase access to private and public mental health care along with other basic needs to marginalized communities in the South and West Sides of Chicago.
Dan Crotty is a mental health care professional at Chicago Therapy and Wellness, committed to providing therapy for individuals from marginalized communities. Dan’s primary focus is on serving clients with stigmatized mental health issues and those who historically lack access to mental health treatment due to exclusionary policies or prohibitive costs. In their previous role at Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center, Dan provided individual counseling, co-facilitated the LGBTQIA+ support group, and managed casework to connect clients with necessary resources, including medical and mental health care, housing, food, and employment. Dan aims to leverage the Scholars program to learn how to responsibly engage local communities and navigate existing systems to enhance access to free, low-cost, and accessible mental health care, particularly in underserved areas like the South and West Sides of Chicago.
School Partnerships Manager, Afterschool for Children and Teens Now (ACT Now) Coalition
Ensuring access to high-quality, affordable out-of-school care for youth across Illinois.
Nikki Gillani advocates for policies that connect schools and community-based organizations that serve youth during out-of-school time, collaborating with communities across the state, with a growing portfolio in rural areas. Faced with a $22 million funding shortfall from the Illinois State Board of Education that jeopardized over 200 afterschool programs, Nikki led a multifaceted strategy involving policy advocacy and technical assistance to preserve youth development programs in Illinois. She played a key role in securing stopgap funding and a $50 million budget allocation for youth programs, while also forming a statewide advisory council to address programmatic challenges and promote sustainable funding strategies. Through the Scholars program, Nikki seeks to professionalize and expand the youth development field by creating clear and robust educational pathways for aspiring professionals, ensuring every child has access to high-quality afterschool environments. Given that her sector is still new and lacks established roadmaps for collective action, she aims to gain perspectives from Scholars outside her sector to inform and enhance her approach.
Associate Center Director, Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
Empowering neurodiverse youth through peer-mentoring programs that foster metacognition, self-advocacy, positive identity, and self-awareness.
Shoshana Holt-Auslander is working to address educational disparities among students with learning disabilities, particularly for students from underserved communities. While working for Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, she became acutely aware of how few students of color and underprivileged families benefit from the services offered by the for-profit sector. Her experience as a leader at Eye to Eye, a nonprofit organization focused on near-peer mentoring for students with learning differences, including dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder, has shown her the power of that approach. Building on these experiences, Shoshana is eager to use her time in the Scholars program to build a program that mobilizes the principles and practices of near-peer mentoring and universal learning that will allow all students to flourish.
Executive Director, Family Cares (AFC) Mission
Providing essential youth and family services to prepare young people to emerge as influential change agents in their communities.
Valencia is the Executive Director of Family Cares Mission, an organization serving Chicago’s Auburn Gresham, East Garfield, and Englewood communities. Since 2019, she has tackled the critical issue of limited, affordable, and accessible resources for youth. Under her leadership, Family Cares Mission secured $8 million in grants, expanding its youth employment, after-school, and performance arts programs. These initiatives have provided over 250 employment opportunities and enriched the lives of over 400 youth, offering consistent support and creative outlets. Valencia seeks to use the Scholars program to develop and implement a new approach to arts programming through the Family Cares Mission’s community theater, offering acting, dance, media training, and other performance arts initiatives for youth.
Director of Engagement and Outreach, My Block, My Hood, My City
Engaging with social sector partners to foster sustainable relationships that bridge the gap between those who want to give and those who need support.
Nathaniel Viets-VanLear works at My Block, My Hood, My City, where he spearheaded the Explorers Program, which has provided over 1,000 youth from disinvested neighborhoods with arts and cultural experiences to challenge the narrative that their futures are confined by their neighborhood boundaries. Nathaniel's role involves coordinating these programs, building community relationships, and mentoring youth. Nathaniel plans to leverage the Scholars program to advance his initiative, “Percussion with Purpose,” an enrichment program integrating international percussion, restorative justice, and trauma-informed care. Short-term, he aims to establish drumming communities in Rogers Park and North Lawndale and form partnerships with local organizations to build a coalition for music access. Long-term, Nathaniel aspires to advocate for policy changes that enhance music access for underserved students citywide.
Co-Founder & President, The Jiddat Initiative
Dismantling barriers to education for girls in rural Pakistan through direct service programs and opportunity awareness to build a brighter, self-reliant future.
Attaullah Abbasi is an economist and civic leader with a proven track record of promoting economic prosperity by advocating for education and financial literacy. Coming from a rural area, education transformed his life. This experience inspired him to co-found The Jiddat Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing girls’ education in rural Pakistan. Leveraging his technical expertise and network, his organization has engaged with 200 families and 400 students via technology-enabled distance learning and personalized coaching. The Jiddat Initiative has also secured resources for a library in his hometown, Moro, with the aim of increasing girls’ literacy rates by 50% in targeted areas within three years. Through the Scholars program, Attaullah aims to expand his model to five more rural districts through culturally sensitive programming and to advocate for education policy reform to prioritize girls’ education in Pakistan.
Co-Founder and Director, 254 Youth Policy Cafe
Elevating youth voices in public policy through dialogue facilitation, capacity building, and advocacy.
Dr. Judith Nguli is a public policy analyst who co-founded 254 Youth Policy Cafe to engage youth in public policy issues. Through her experience working in the Kenyan government and at a policy think tank, she has made a substantial impact on the national strategy for tackling youth employment. Her organization focuses on this goal by ensuring youth have a seat at the table, training 10,000 youth over the course of three and a half years, and partnering with secondary schools, universities, and community planning organizations. Judith is eager to ensure 254 Youth Policy Cafe’s sustainability, fortifying a youth-centered curriculum that engages social media and other innovative tools. She wants to use the Scholars program to improve her storytelling skills and ultimately build a physical meeting space for a policy incubator.
Public Sector Consultant, State Governments of India
Eliminating violence against women through targeted interventions to enhance financial independence and personal autonomy.
Devyanshi Dubey is an advocate for gender equality with a proven track record of building systems and effecting policies that drive societal progress. In her role within the state governments of India, she worked across sectors, collaborating with senior bureaucrats and grassroots communities to bring a gender lens to policymaking. Her efforts opened access to government programs for widows and skilling initiatives for unemployed women by fostering public-private partnerships and securing government support. Through targeted interventions and policy advocacy, Devyanshi aims to shift societal attitudes around gender in India. She plans to use her Scholar experience to learn how other countries have integrated a gender lens into policy, leveraging a multi-sector approach. Her immediate goal post-graduation is to establish an organization that works with India’s public and private sector organizations to drive policy change and promote gender equality.
Founder, Wista Peru
Advancing women’s inclusion in the maritime, port, foreign trade, and logistics industries through education and skill-building initiatives.
Ximena Valenzuela Cabrera is a Peruvian lawyer dedicated to promoting women in the maritime, port, logistics, and trade industries. She began her career in the private sector before transitioning to government work, where she addressed issues ranging from telecommunications to transportation (highways, railways, ports, and airports) to sanitation. Her experience advising one of Peru’s major ports highlighted the challenges women face in the male-dominated maritime industry, inspiring her to co-found Wista Peru with 10 other women. The organization now has 90 members and offers technical training and soft skills development to advance women's professionalism in the region’s maritime industries. Ximena plans to include technicians in Wista Peru’s membership and to collaborate with port concessionaires in Peru that have gender equality programs in place. These entities are contractually obligated to manage funds addressing critical local needs, and Ximena wants to learn from experts, other Scholars, and practitioners how to transform systems to be more inclusive so she can ensure these funds are distributed appropriately and effectively.
Co-Founder, Baad-e-Sabaa Pakistan
Mobilizing young leaders to promote climate literacy through tech-based solutions to empower, educate, and uplift communities in underserved regions.
Mariam is an experienced data analyst who aspires to work at the intersection of people, technology, and information to increase digital literacy and civic engagement in rural Pakistan, especially for women. In her past work, she has collaborated with teams of academics and technical experts on literacy projects impacting over 300,000 students, and led digital literacy campaigns with five schools and universities in Lahore. She has also worked with the World Economic Forum-backed Global Shapers and Scale360 networks to develop local solutions for air quality, while training students as climate activists. Leveraging her experience and networks and inspired by her family’s strong connections to farming communities in Pakistan, Mariam aims to create a smartphone-accessible curriculum that empowers women and girls to become leaders in building community resilience against climate hazards. Long-term, she plans to expand this initiative to underserved regions across Pakistan by leveraging partnerships with local organizations and government agencies working to bridge the digital divide.
Youth Organizer and Economist
Mobilizing youth toward effective civic participation and strategic decision-making to pave a better future for Haiti.
Ralph Valiere, a former technical advisor in Haiti’s government in the Cabinet of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and in the Office of the President, is working to be a leader in the movement to build a stable, democratic Haiti. Given the ongoing crisis in Haiti, Ralph is collaborating with members of the Haitian diaspora, Haitian policymakers, and young government leaders to create a blueprint for reforms to create a better governance structure and social welfare system in Haiti. His team has built a technical structure and manifesto promoting principles of democracy, meritocracy, utilitarianism, and citizen participation, and they are now seeking ways to bring awareness to their work and to test their reforms at the rural, local level. Ralph hopes the Scholars program can help him think deeply about what it takes to rebuild systems with sound methodology and to learn from others who are working in complex ecosystems to impact their communities from the ground up.