Soros Fellowship for New Americans Announces 2026 Recipients

One current and one incoming Yale Law School student have been named 2026 recipients of the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.

Akhil Rajan ’28 and incoming student Andy Flores ’29 are among 30 recipients of the fellowship, which supports outstanding immigrants and children of immigrants pursuing graduate education in the United States. 

Fellows were selected for their potential to make significant contributions to the United States. They will each receive up to $90,000 in financial support for their graduate studies.

New Fellows were selected from a pool of more than 3,000 applicants nationwide and represent the remarkable contributions and potential of New Americans across a range of fields, from medicine and law to engineering, literature, computer science, public service, and the arts, according to the Foundation.

“The 2026 class brings together some of the most exceptional young people in the country, and what unites them is not just their talent but the resilience and perspective that comes from the immigrant experience. That combination is something this country needs now more than ever,” said Craig Harwood, director of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans.

Read biographies of the new Soros Fellows

The 2026 Fellows, who were chosen through a rigorous selection process led by distinguished leaders in their fields, hail from all over the United States and world. They include researchers developing lifesaving medical treatments, legal scholars shaping policies for a more just society, active military officers working on medical and engineering degrees, and writers whose work fosters cultural understanding.

Now in its 28th year, the Fellowship has supported more than 800 individuals whose work is shaping and enriching American society, according to an announcement from the foundation.

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans was founded in 1998 and selects Fellows based on their achievements, potential to make meaningful contributions to their fields and communities, and dedication to the ideals of America represented in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, according to the foundation.