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Akbar Hossain L’18 receives Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans

April 12, 2016

Akbar Hossain L'18 has been named one of 30 recipients of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans.
Akbar Hossain L’18 has been named one of 30 recipients of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans.
Akbar Hossain L’18 has been named a 2016 recipient of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans, a national merit fellowship that annually supports immigrants and children of immigrants who are pursuing graduate school in the United States.

Penn Law student Akbar Hossain L’18 has been named a 2016 recipient of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans, a national merit fellowship that annually supports immigrants and children of immigrants who are pursuing graduate school in the United States.

Fellows receive up to $90,000 toward their graduate education, and Hossain was one of 30 fellows selected from a pool of over 1,400 applications. Fellows are selected for their potential to make significant contributes to U.S. society, culture, or academics.

Hossain was born in Bangladesh and later moved to Saudi Arabia, where his father was a migrant worker. His family moved to the United States in 2001 through the Diversity Visa Lottery and settled in Norristown, Pennsylvania, where he attended Norristown Area High School.

A first-generation college student, Hossain attended Franklin and Marshall College, where he worked with low-income refugee families in Lancaster, Pennsylvania through the United Way and on asylum cases for persecuted clients with the Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center.

He was a 2012 Truman Scholar, and he has interned for the White House and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He also served as a Truman-Albright Fellow at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“Being named a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow is an incredible honor — I am humbled and excited to be a part of this year’s class,” said Hossain. “It’s also a reaffirmation of the belief that community engagement matters and that immigrants continue to contribute to the fabric of the American society.”

After receiving his JD from Penn Law, Hossain hopes to work as an advocate for low-income communities, and perhaps even serve in local elected office.

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans were founded by Daisy M. Soros and Paul Soros (1926-2013), and the program has awarded more than 550 fellowships throughout its history.

To learn more visit: https://www.pdsoros.org/meet-the-fellows/akbar-hossain