Nineteen Minnesotans have each landed $100,000 from the prestigious Bush Foundation fellowship this year to fund education or training.
Meet the 19 Minnesotans who won Bush Foundation’s prestigious fellowship
The 19 Minnesotans, two North Dakotans and three South Dakotans are this year’s winners of the Bush fellowship, which gives $100,000 to advance community leaders’ education and training.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
June 13, 2024 at 4:11PM
The St. Paul-based foundation announced the winners Tuesday of its competitive annual program, which nearly 600 people applied for. Residents 24 or older in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations in the three states were eligible to apply.
The Minnesota winners are:
- Rod Adams of Minneapolis, executive director of the New Justice Project, focusing on leadership development, education, jobs and housing for Black Minnesotans
- Mari Avaloz of St. Paul, who aims to boost access for families for culturally specific cancer support
- Autumn Cavender of Granite Falls, an Upper Sioux Community member working to revitalize traditional Indigenous birthing practices
- Adrean Clark of St. Paul, who co-founded a publishing company for sign language speakers and set up an online dictionary for written American Sign Language
- Trahern Crews of St. Paul, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota working to build generational wealth for Black communities
- Lachelle Cunningham of Minneapolis, founder of Chelle’s Kitchen and the first executive chef of Breaking Bread Cafe
- Roberto de la Riva of Minneapolis, co-founder of Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia (United Renters For Justice) who will work on community-owned housing cooperatives
- Michelle Goose of Duluth, a Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe member working to revitalize Ojibwe language and culture
- Monica Hurtado of Minneapolis, public policy director at Voices for Racial Justice who has worked to increase health care support for the Latino community
- Jouapag Lee of Roseville, a founding member of the Hmong Healers Collective who aims to create a cultural space for Hmong American millennials
- Jamil Stamschror-Lott of Minneapolis, who started a private practice, Creative Kuponya, with his wife to provide culturally responsive services to better support his community
- Manka Nkimbeng of Columbia Heights, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health working to address health inequities in African immigrant communities
- Alysha Price of Minneapolis, an author who is increasing tools for single parents to co-parent effectively in the Price Dynamic, a social enterprise
- Kasim Abdur Razzaq of St. Paul, a mental health professional working to inspire and support more Black mental health professionals
- Leslie Ellen Redmond of Minneapolis, the youngest president of the Minneapolis NAACP, who is working to build a stronger network of elders and leaders
- Antony Stately of Prior Lake, executive officer of the Native American Community Clinic who is working to increase health equity in Indigenous communities
- Irma Márquez Trapero of St. James, co-founder of LatinoLEAD, a leadership network
- Moira Villiard of Duluth, a Fond du Lac Ojibwe direct descendant who is a lead director for the Chief Buffalo Memorial project and co-organizer of a community art installation, “Waiting for Beds”
- May Lee Xiong of Cottage Grove, an educator leading Hmong language revitalization efforts and co-creator of the Hmong Studies and Hmong Dual Language programs at Txuj Ci HMong Lower Campus
The North Dakota winners are: Frederick Edwards Jr. of Fargo, who spearheaded Umoja (unity) Writing Workshops in the school district and led culturally relevant curriculum; and Arlene Krulish of St. Michael, a Spirit Lake Nation member improving access to health care on the reservation.
The South Dakota winners are: Lily Mendoza of Rapid City, a Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe member who created Red Ribbon Skirt Society to change national policies on missing and murdered Indigenous women; David O’Hara of Sioux Falls, a professor and environmentalist expanding work to foster a new generation of leaders; and Amber Zora of Rapid City, an artist and Iraq War veteran who has exhibited her work, curated antiwar exhibits and taught art classes.
These Minnesotans are poised to play prominent roles in state and national politics in the coming years.
