Meet the 2025 Bezos Scholars!
The Bezos Scholars Program (BSP) is proud to announce its 2025 cohort — 13 incredible teams of rising high school seniors and educators from across the U.S. and Africa, ready to drive change in their communities.
Since 2005, the Bezos Family Foundation has championed young leaders through BSP, providing a launchpad for them to create unique approaches to meet urgent community needs through creativity, collaboration, and engagement. This year’s Scholars, selected from a highly competitive pool, attend public schools or the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, a valued partner since 2011. They’re chosen for their commitment to education, leadership, perseverance and passion for community impact.
The journey begins with virtual community building and purpose discovery, leading up to an all-expenses-paid experience at the Aspen Ideas Festival. There, Scholars dive into leadership workshops, connect with world-renowned changemakers, and prepare to launch sustainable Community Change Projects once they return home.
“These student leaders and educator advocates are exactly who the world needs right now. We are honored to support and learn from such a brilliant, energized cohort.”
Scholars gain over 40 hours of leadership development, $1,000 in seed funding (with opportunities for renewal), free personalized college advising, and lifelong access to the vibrant Scholar Alum Network.
Their projects span critical issues—climate action, education access, financial literacy, and advocacy for underrepresented groups—each deeply rooted in the needs and hopes of their communities. Since our founding, Scholars have created more than 215 transformative projects—and this new cohort is poised to spark 13 more!
We are honored to welcome the following Scholars:
Students Anotidaishe Chinyadza, Abigail Maina, Elvis Chacha, Lubanzi Mhlonishwa Tsabedze, Marwa Kriraa and educator Catherine Delight representing their home countries of Kenya, Morocco, Zimbabwe and the Kingdom of Eswatini. Since 2011, the Bezos Scholars Program has partnered with African Leadership Academy to select five students and one educator tasked with continuing the South African Ideas Festival, an entrepreneurial social impact community change project.
Student Euphoria White and educator Autumn Rose Dowdy from Porter, Texas.
Student Jeslyn Kamga and educator Natalie St. Fleur from Frederick, Maryland.
Student Lindsey LeTran and educator Ashley Fisher from Canandaigua, New York.
Student Liya Getahun and educator Jennifer Pickering from San Diego, California.
Student Mariam Kandel and educator Tonya Swan from Louisville, Kentucky.
Student Nathan Kwok and educator JulieAnne Halsey from Orlando, Florida.
Student Parsmi Rajput and educator Shelley Hawkins from Cypress, California.
Student Sally Awuku and educator Felicia Bifulco from Flushing, New York.
Student Shaurya Kante and educator Tiffany Clyde from Tomball, Texas.
Student Turner Daudert and educator Priscilla A. Grijalva from San Jacinto, California.
Student Isabella Villalobos and educator Javier Rubio from El Paso, Texas.
Student Vivian Reyes-Martinez and educator Emily Thompson from Adairsville, Georgia.
To see full Scholar biographies and photos, please visit the Meet the Scholars page of the Bezos Scholars Program website.