Each year Up to Us accepts scholarship applications for the Leadership and the American Presidency (LTAP) fellowship as part of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute. The scholarship provides former Up to Us Campus Competition participants with financial support and unique opportunities throughout the summer and fall to interact with and learn valuable insight about leadership from the top names in government, business, and nonprofit organizations. Co-sponsored by The Fund for America Studies, student fellows live and work in Washington, DC, all while being provided access to mentors and speakers that offer them personal leadership lessons to promote, educate, and encourage their civic capabilities.
Meet our 2021 Fellows:
Originally from Baghdad, Iraq, Yamam Saheb is an Arab-American Muslim refugee who migrated to the United States with her family in 2008 while escaping violence, terrorism, and political persecution. Her struggles in a war-torn country and low-income community, along with her academic journey in the US, has been instrumental in shaping her passion for social and economic justice. She hopes to empower and advocate for marginalized and low-income communities at the local and global levels. She plans to use her experiences and her story to empower those around her and remain dedicated to the service of others. Through the LTAP Fellowship and her internship with the International Virtual Reality Healthcare Association, Yamam plans to further her education and growth so that she can shape a better future for all.
Wantoe Teah Wantoe is a student from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, double majoring in Public Policy and Sociology with an emphasis in Criminology. He was a team leader for the Up to Us Campus Competition at his college from 2019-2020, leading them to the finalist round. Wantoe is a 2020 Friend of Humanity Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, and he has also been awarded the Vincent De Paul Award from the College of Mount Saint Vincent for his contribution to creating systemic change. Wantoe was a 2019 Obama Foundation Leadership Asset and Dialogue Alumni. In addition, he was a 2019 Princess Diana Award Recipient, a 2018 Global Young Voices SDGs Champion Winner, and a 2017 FAF Humanitarian Impact Winner. Much of Wantoe’s work deals with resolving world humanitarian issues. As part of his internship with Agri-Tech Producers, LLC and Representative Naquetta Ricks, a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 40th, Wantoe is eager to continue skill-building in civil discourse, organization, and policy in order to make a difference, both nationally and globally.
Xavier Lopez is in his junior year at the University of Houston. He was president of the Deliberative Dialogue Club as part of the National Issues Forum, where he was trained as a professional discussion moderator. He was also president of the Public Achievement Club and elected as the president for the Student Government. Xavier was selected as the student commencement speaker for his 2021 graduation and a select honors day presenter for his research on income inequality. He led a virtual/ on-campus campaign over the national debt as part of the Up to Us Campus Competition. Through the LTAP fellowship, he is hoping to grow as a leader and become a more effective delegator. He also hopes that his current work with the Salvation Army as a Summer Leader Intern will greatly benefit those in the Northeast D.C. area.
Learn More
You can follow our LTAP Fellows’ journeys throughout the summer on our blog and on our social feeds or sign up for our Up to Us newsletter.
To learn more about how you can get involved with the Up to Us Campus Competition and take part in all of Up to Us’s program offerings, visit: itsuptous.org.
