The 2023 There’s Space for Everyone
Scholarship Winners
Learn more about the winners and how they plan to use their awards to further their educations.
GABRIELLE SMITH
Graduate
What school do you attend?
University of Southern California
What is your major?
Master of Public Health
What are your plans after school?
I aim to work with the City of Los Angeles to support medically underserved populations by engaging in federal government advocacy to promote free and affordable health care and educational opportunities. I would love to explore and develop wearable devices and personal technologies that monitor and advance health. Furthermore, I am interested in working with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to develop an emergency medical plan for at-risk communities to mitigate the damage of a potential viral infection.
What is/was your favorite subject in school?
I adore anything related to health, healthcare, policy, and the human mind. I obtained my B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Child and Family Development on the pre-med track. I am currently pursuing a Master of Public Health.
What are your hobbies?
In my free time, I enjoy musical theatre and contributing to community service initiatives.
COLE YOUNG
Graduate
What school do you attend?
University of Denver and Colorado School of Public Health at University of Colorado Denver – Anschutz.
What is your major?
Dual Master’s in Social Work and Public Health
What are your plans after school?
I plan to continue working for NGOs in programs, research, and advocacy, especially for LGBTQ+ and human rights, domestically and globally. I want to put my energy towards access to healthcare, mutual aid, mental health/wellbeing, and linking bodily autonomy to human rights.
What is/was your favorite subject in school?
Sociology and international studies, especially related to international development and human rights, which are essential to bring into my global social work and public health practice.
What are your hobbies?
I’m a drummer, avid traveler, and am excited to hike and spend more time outdoors as I move to Colorado.
BRANDY FOX
Graduate
What school do you attend?
The University of South Carolina
What is your major?
Masters in Library and Information Sciences
What are your plans after school?
It is my intention to pursue my PhD while working to start and grow a nonprofit aimed at creating a more equitable learning environment for disabled college students who, due to overworked and underfunded campus Disability Service Offices, often wait weeks for their course content in an accessible format. In contrast, those without disabilities have full access on the first day of class. I hope to help reduce educational inequality by creating a database storage service of academic information in audio file format that delivers to students their course content via a media player app accessible on their smartphones or personal computers. Dyslexia runs in my family and my late brother dropped out of college because, at the time, we didn’t know how to navigate the system to get him the accommodations he needed. I’ll never stop wondering if he’d still be alive if he’d stayed in college. It’s my hope that by doing this I can help give others the future he never got.
What is/was your favorite subject in school?
Anything social science or literature related.
What are your hobbies?
Writing fiction and listening to audiobooks. I’ve self-published one YA novel under the pseudonym Zoë C. Fox so far but hope to get an agent for the other novels I’ve written.
IRENE CHOI
Graduate
What school do you attend?
University of California, Los Angeles – Anderson School of Management
What is your major?
During my undergraduate program at UCLA, I majored in International Development Studies. At Anderson, I will focus my studies in Finance.
What are your plans after school?
I plan to continue working in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit industry to finance affordable housing developments throughout the country.
What is/was your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject in school was urban planning.
What are your hobbies?
My hobbies include volunteering, mentoring the next generation of real estate professionals, creating new cooking recipes.
ANN UBAKA
Sophomore
What school do you attend?
Jacksonville University!
What is your major?
I am majoring in Computer Science.
What are your plans after school?
After college, my plan is to take it step by step. In the long term, I intend to get my master’s and later, my doctorate. It’s exciting to imagine diving deeper into my field and being part of innovative solutions. But for now, in the short term, I’m really eager to jump into the world of software engineering. I love using my technical skills and solving problems to create applications that can make a real impact.
What is/was your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject in school is math!
What are your hobbies?
In my free time, I love reading manga and playing sandbox video games like Minecraft and Animal Crossing.
XAVIER HESHMATY
Junior
What school do you attend?
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
What is your major?
Air Traffic Management
What are your plans after school?
I plan on attending the Federal Aviation Administration’s Academy to become an Air Traffic Controller. I aim to work hard to be given a position at higher-traffic facilities like Atlanta.
What is/was your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject is math.
What are your hobbies?
I enjoy playing video games and furthering my knowledge of information technology.
MEGAN ROBERTSON
Graduate
What school do you attend?
Western Governor’s University
What is your major?
MS in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance
What are your plans after school?
My long-term goal is to work in the Cybersecurity field for a nonprofit, ideally an organization that aligns with my passion for environmental conservation and climate change efforts.
What is/was your favorite subject in school?
Biology
What are your hobbies?
In my free time I enjoy playing full tackle women’s football for the Utah Falconz, hiking, strength training and weightlifting, mountain biking, and 3D printing.
MELISSA MOORE
Junior
What school do you attend?
Dallas Community College
What is your major?
Social Work
What are your plans after school?
So many options! I can work for the State Correctional Facility helping with rehab programs!
What is/was your favorite subject in school?
English! I love poetry – so much expression!
What are your hobbies?
Yoga, finding tea
THANK YOU TO ALL PARTICIPANTS!
SIGN UP FOR SCHOLARSHIP UPDATES
Enter your email to be notified about future scholarship opportunities.
By signing up, I agree to Extra Space Storage’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and to receive marketing messages from Extra Space Storage
