Prep’s Fifth Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow Announced

Prep is pleased to announce its fifth Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow, Chidiebere Akusobi (XXIV/Horace Mann '08, Yale '12) MPhil, Cambridge '13; MD/PhD, Harvard '22. Chidi's fellowship will support his work towards dual MD/PhD degrees in infectious disease at Harvard.
Born in Nigeria and raised in the South Bronx, Chidi dreamed of becoming a physician from an early age. At Yale, he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology, and devoted his time to leading science outreach programs. He was awarded a Gates Cambridge scholarship to complete an MPhil in biochemistry from the University of Cambridge, after which he worked with a tuberculosis research team. Currently a second-year medical student, Chidi is active in promoting a pipeline of underrepresented minority students in medicine through the Student National Medical Association.

“The start of my academic journey was ignited by Prep for Prep, a program that believed and invested in my potential since fifth grade. Prep offered me and my family our first real window to the American dream. I was provided countless opportunities that exposed me to higher education as well as careers in medicine and research. Prep also instilled in me and in many of its alumni a deep commitment to service, both to the program in helping develop the next generation of leaders of color and to the communities that we all hail from.” 

Chidi joins four other distinguished Prep alums who have earned Soros Fellowships:

2001
Karimi Mailutha (P9 IV/Choate '95, Columbia '99) MD, Harvard '04; MPH, Johns Hopkins '05

2007
Yahonnes Cleary (P9 V/Choate '96, Columbia '00) MS, Oxford '02; JD, Yale '09
Sue Meng (XV/Brearley '99, Harvard '03) MA, Oxford '06; JD, Yale '09

2013
Leslie-Bernard Joseph (P9 XI/Deerfield '02, Princeton '06) MA, Pace '08; JD, Stanford '15

The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans seek to assist young new Americans at critical points in their educations. Each year, thirty immigrants or children of immigrants are selected as Fellows for their potential to make significant contributions to US society, culture, or their academic fields. Each Fellowship supports up to two years of graduate study in any field in any advanced degree-granting program in the United States. Each award is for up to $25,000 in stipend support, as well as fifty percent of required tuition and fees, up to $20,000 per year, for two years.
 
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