Charting his own course

Photo by Adam Atkinson

By Stella Katsipoutis-Varkanis

As one of four brothers, Chris Byrnes ’26 understood early on the value of charting one’s own course in life and academics. “I’m a twin within a set of triplets, and we have another younger sibling, so I grew up in a very competitive household,” says Byrnes, who has a double major in government and law and Asian studies, as well as a minor in data science. “That was the catalyst that led me down a different path from my brothers and allowed me to pursue what I wanted, which was politics.” Now, after becoming the first Lafayette student to receive the Voyager Scholarship, the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service, Byrnes is making College history as he journeys toward his dream. 

Byrnes is one of 100 students from 44 states and territories, representing 88 colleges and universities across the United States, to receive the Voyager Scholarship for Public Service this year. The scholarship—which was created by the Obamas and Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, to help shape such leaders—gives college students financial aid to alleviate the burden of college debt, travel experiences to expand their horizons, and a network of mentors and leaders to support them. 

Photo by Adam Atkinson

When he found Lafayette during his senior year of high school, Byrnes was initially planning to study U.S. politics. He was immediately drawn to the College’s Robert B. and Helen S. Meyner Center for the Study of State and Local Government and Department of Government and Law, as well as to the research of Andrew Clarke, assistant professor of government and law, which centers on American political institutions. “In my college search, I didn’t see any school with programs like Lafayette’s, and I loved how collaborative the environment seemed—especially compared to the other schools I had applied to or was accepted to,” Byrnes says. “I knew I wanted to work closely with Prof. Clarke too, and I knew I could do that because of Lafayette’s small size.” 

Since then, Byrnes has written a research article with Clarke on bipartisan Congressional factions—which will soon be submitted for peer review and potential publication. He’s also researched the political attitudes of college students in Tanzania alongside Dylan Groves, assistant professor of government and law; worked as a research assistant for Daniel Markovits ’20, a Ph.D. student in Columbia University’s Department of Political Science; and has twice participated in Clarke’s Gov Lab, which provides professional development opportunities to students through original, student-driven research projects. One project that particularly resonated with him was the experimental research he conducted with Clarke on whether policymakers consider evidence when making decisions on policies.

“Many of the research topics I’ve been working on have real-world impacts, and all these experiences—studying a wide range of topics in both one-on-one and bigger group settings—have encouraged me to think more about evidence-based policymaking and how I can implement those values in a career of public service.” 

His involvement in various co-curricular programs and student organizations at Lafayette also helped Byrnes crystallize his vision for the future. 

Through thought-provoking conversations with fellow McKelvy Scholar Zihao (Kevin) Ding ’24 about Chinese culture and politics, Byrnes was prompted to expand his career goals to focus on international politics, particularly in East Asia. “I have a personal connection to the region because my father served as a U.S. Marine in Okinawa and South Korea, and I learned so much from Kevin about his culture,” he says. The McKelvy Scholars Program’s weekly Sunday discussions, Byrnes adds, also taught him how to navigate difficult discussions and see the world through different perspectives. “McKelvy is a second home to me, with so many people to learn from,” he says. “It gave us the opportunity to engage in civil discourse about important issues and express our different views, while also being challenged.” 

In addition to being a McKelvy Scholar, Byrnes has held a variety of other roles on and off campus that have allowed him to even further cultivate his passions and interests while serving the community. As current co-director of Lafayette Votes! (of which he’s been a member since 2023), he assists campus community members complete the voter registration process. He’s also active in nationwide voter turnout efforts through the nonprofit Every Vote Counts.

Photo by Adam Atkinson

As the first Marquis de Lafayette Fellow in Special Collections and College Archives, Byrnes has worked on the exhibit commemorating the 200th anniversary of Lafayette’s Grand Tour of the U.S. And working in partnership with Rico Reyes, director of galleries and curator of collections at Williams Center for the Arts, and Lehigh Valley 250—a local group comprised of Lehigh Valley arts, culture, education, and history organizations—Byrnes spent summer 2023 researching works of art of the Marquis de Lafayette in an effort to bring to light the stories of the African Americans of the American Revolution.

“When I applied to Lafayette, I never expected to be engaged in so many different ways,” Byrnes says. “I’ve gained so many skills in helping people find their voice, and I’m so thankful to be on this path. It’s going to characterize a lot of the future work that I do, and it was instrumental in me receiving the Voyager Scholarship.”

Byrnes will receive up to $50,000 in “last dollar” financial aid across his junior and senior years ($25,000 per year) at Lafayette, as well as $10,000 (and an additional $4,200 from Airbnb to cover the cost of living) to develop his own summer voyage in 2025 relevant to his interests. He plans to spend his summer in South Korea. This travel-work experience will allow Byrnes to immerse himself in different communities and cultures to become a more informed public servant. He will also receive $2,000 toward Airbnb for the next 10 years after graduation (totaling $20,000) to continue his travel experiences and learning, will participate in monthly programming and a fall summit to exchange ideas with fellow Voyagers, and will have access to the wider Obama Foundation network.

“As a public servant, you interact with so many different people, and I want to be able to see the world and view it from different perspectives. I’m so grateful that I now have the chance to do that, especially as someone who hasn’t had extensive travel experience,” says Byrnes, who also earned a Freeman Asia Scholarship in 2024 to study abroad in South Korea. “I’m going to come home with so many invaluable experiences, and hopefully I can use that knowledge to help form public policy in the future through a career in the State Department.” 

Byrnes says he is grateful for the generosity of the Obamas and Chesky, as well as the support of the professors, staff, and students at Lafayette. “I’ve learned to embrace the unexpected—and that regardless of the path you choose, there will be people at Lafayette to cheer you on along the way.”