Amanda Morrall has secured her spot in the sixth cohort of Obama Scholars under the Obama Foundation, becoming the first Tulsan and only the fourth American to be admitted into the Columbia cohort since the program’s debut in 2018.
The Obama Scholars Program aims to empower leaders who are already making a positive impact in their communities by providing them with opportunities for academic, skills-based, and hands-on training. The program is conducted at the University of Chicago and Columbia University in New York City. Candidates from around the world are considered for selection into the program.
Morrall, who formerly worked as the Executive Director of Coretz Family Foundation, told The Black Wall Street Times in an interview, “It’s a really big deal here to represent Tulsa. Being a young, African American leader, I don’t take it lightly.”
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Raised in Kansas City, Morrall has made significant contributions to Tulsa as the first African American to run an endowed, private foundation in the city. Her goal is to transform philanthropy into a structure that is based on trust and driven by the community.
In 2022, she led a strategic planning process at the Coretz Family Foundation, involving over 350 community leaders and 100 organizations in discussions to identify the needs of local nonprofits and the communities they serve.
The pacesetter also played a key role as the founding president of Blueprint 918 and served as a Tulsa Young Professionals Foundation Trustee, dedicating her efforts to promoting racial equity.
On a national level, Morrall has developed programs and events for esteemed institutions such as the White House, Duke University, The Aspen Institute, the University of California-Los Angeles, and the United Way.
She aims to inspire others, regardless of their resources, to become philanthropists and make a difference in their communities.
“It’s never about you. It’s always about community and the people you can support and help,” Morrall said.
Morrall holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy from Duke University, where she was recognized as an Alice M. Baldwin Scholar and served as an Ex-Officio Board Member of the Sanford School. She also earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California-Los Angeles, where she was a Luskin Ann C. Rosenfield Fellow.
