We created the Iris Shanyue Tang Scholarship to honor Iris’s love of learning and the joy she found at Olin, and carry forward the values she lived by—curiosity, kindness, and a genuine love for learning. Olin was a very meaningful part of her journey, and supporting its students allows her spirit to continue to inspire others. Through this scholarship, we hope to celebrate who Iris was while helping future students pursue their passions with the same curiosity and enthusiasm she had. Our continued support reflects both our gratitude to Olin and our desire to see its community thrive in the years to come.
Recipients
2026
Debbie Kebede
Maryland
Debbie Kebede is a first-generation Ethiopian immigrant and a freshman at Olin College of Engineering. Her main interests include engineering, languages, community service, and creative storytelling.
Having served as a leader for both data science and mechanics within her robotics team throughout high school, she hopes to pursue robotics through project teams and research at Olin.
Beyond engineering, Debbie is passionate about languages, community service, and storytelling. A seven-year student journalist, she has produced documentaries and other media to spread awareness about various issues and share her love of videomaking. She is also an avid linguist, speaking English, Amharic, French, and Oromiffa. As such, she founded and led her high school’s Amharic Club while serving as president of its French Honor Society.
Debbie also founded STEM Scholars, a virtual mentorship program supporting immigrant and English language learner students through STEM exploration, mentorship, and research. As a future engineer, she hopes to expand access to education, develop sustainable technologies, and mentor the next generation of changemakers.