Story and photo by Carmen Guerrero. Originally published on CSU Source.
Warner College student Mark Samolej receives prestigious Voyager Scholarship
Mark Samolej is one of just 100 students nationwide to receive the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service – known as the Voyager Scholarship – which honors his commitment to public service and ecological restoration.
A third-year restoration ecology student at Colorado State University, Samolej intends to use the scholarship to restore native ecosystems while supporting the communities most affected by environmental degradation.
The Voyager Scholarship supports young leaders pursuing careers in public service. Funded by the Obama Foundation and Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky, it includes up to $25,000 per year in tuition assistance, a $10,000 stipend to fund a self-designed public service “voyage” anywhere in the world and $2,000 in Airbnb credits annually for a decade after graduation.
For Samolej, receiving the scholarship is more than just financial support – it’s deeply meaningful. “It’s validating to be recognized for the work I’ve put in,” he said. “But more than that, the resources they are going to provide me will be an amazing boost to my career.”
“It is wonderful to see Mark’s many accomplishments honored with this life-changing opportunity,” said A. Alonso Aguirre, dean of Warner College of Natural Resources. “We can’t wait to see where the Voyager Scholarship takes him as he continues to dedicate himself to serving others through ecological restoration and environmental justice.”
Learning through land stewardship
Samolej is from the suburbs of Chicago, where nature didn’t look quite like nature.
“Growing up in the suburban sprawl of Chicago shaped me in interesting ways,” said Samolej. “The lake near my childhood home was originally a quarry, and the huge hill in the distance used to be a landfill. I was always in close proximity to significant land change. I learned to love watching the plants grow.”
That early proximity to altered landscapes eventually led him to the field of restoration ecology, a discipline focused on healing damaged ecosystems and stewarding the land for future generations. With a minor in environmental sociology, Samolej is interested not just in restoring nature, but in understanding the human dimensions that influence it.
Samolej’s hands-on journey in natural resources began before he arrived at CSU. His first job in the field was with the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa, where he spent 10 months living on a wildlife refuge along the Minnesota River.
“We collected seeds in native remnant prairies, chopped trees, sprayed weeds, built gardens and traveled all across the beautiful state we were lucky to be working in,” he recalled. “I always loved the outdoors, but that opportunity showed me what was actually possible in the field.”
He credits that experience and the mentors he met along the way with reinforcing his path. Now, at the Warner College of Natural Resources, Samolej is focused on expanding his research skills to prepare for graduate school.
“Short term, I’m hoping to gain as much experience in research, the field and lab as I can while I’m at CSU,” he said. “Long term, I just hope all the work I’m putting in now leads to a career making the world a better place for future generations.”
Advice for future applicants
According to Samolej, the Voyager Scholarship application process was intensive, requiring essays, personal information and a video submission, a process that took him 10 hours to complete; but in the end, it was well worth it.
For other students considering competitive scholarships like the Voyager, Samolej shared this advice: “Apply to anything and everything that you’re a fit for. Wear your passions on your sleeve. Explain what you do, why you do it and what it really means to you. Understand your audience, but more importantly, give them something real.”
Current CSU undergraduate students interested in applying for the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service can contact Mary Swanson, program director of the Office for Scholarship and Fellowship Advising, at mary.swanson@colostate.edu.