In October 2023, Ariela Asllani, a public policy major in the Brooks School of Public Policy, founded Refugee Scholars in Ithaca. The daughter of political refugees and a first-generation, low-income college student, Asllani aims to help refugee students bridge the opportunity gap to an academic education. She is coordinating her efforts with local volunteer organization Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR) to identify high school students who could benefit from the project.
Under the guidance of mentors at Cornell and IWR, Asllani has recorded several YouTube videos with useful career and college application information. To date, her organization has also secured enough funding from two grants to aid seven students with laptops, SAT and ACT preparation materials and school supplies. She will use the Robinson-Appel award to support an additional seven students, extending the project into the 2024-25 academic year.