2023 Key into Public Service Scholars

KIPS 2023

“At a time when civic bonds are frayed, where many feel more disconnected from their neighbors than ever before, service is the antidote to the epidemic of loneliness and otherness.”

—Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland
                   (ΦBK, The Johns Hopkins University)


Inspired by many Phi Beta Kappa members who have shaped the course of our nation through local, state, and federal service, the Society proudly announces the 20 recipients of the Key into Public Service scholarships. The award recognizes exemplary liberal arts and science majors with a demonstrated interest in public sector work.   

Erica Albert, State University of New York at Binghamton  

Nayantara Arora, University of Oregon 

Briana Azad, University of Houston 

Dylan Champagne, University of Connecticut  

Victoria Choe, Columbia University 

Monet Cook, Howard University  

Sam Douds, Bucknell University  

Cecilia Espinosa, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

Joshua Fang, Rice University  

Anthony Hu, George Washington University  

Laibah Mir, State University of New York at Buffalo  

Rina Nagashima, Scripps College  

Audra Nikolajski, University of South Florida 

Holiday O’Bryan, Macalester College 

Swara Patel, Hunter College of the City University of New York 

Jack Pressgrove, Vanderbilt University 

Elizabeth Stifel, University of Notre Dame  

Mikayla Tillery, Stanford University  

Bryce Wallace, University of California, Berkeley  

Logan Williams, Indiana University 

Chosen from more than 900 applicants attending Phi Beta Kappa chapter institutions across the nation, the Key into Public Service Scholars hail from 16 states. These high-achieving college sophomores and juniors display notable breadth and depth in their academic interests, ranging from double majors in geology and public policy to gender studies and biological sciences.  

“The Society applauds the Service Scholars for their intellectual curiosity, community engagement, and dedication to the common good,” said Phi Beta Kappa Secretary Frederick M. Lawrence. “The well-rounded education these outstanding students are pursuing will prepare them well for a meaningful, productive, and engaged life in public service. We look forward to the contributions each member of the 2023 Key into Public Service class will make to the nation in the years ahead.” 

Each scholar will receive a $5,000 undergraduate scholarship and take part in a conference held June 21-25 in Washington, D.C., to provide them with training, mentoring, and reflection on pathways into active citizenship from leading service organizations.   

The Society extends our congratulations to the students, their families, their faculty mentors, and campus institutions. Help us celebrate the 2023 Service Scholars by reading their individual profiles at pbk.org/servicescholars.