Recipients of 2025 Bush Fellowship include leaders in education, journalism, advocacy
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The Bush Foundation announced Tuesday a new cohort of 29 fellows.
The foundation picks fellows every year from Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Native nations within those states. The program is designed for people who are already local leaders, but need funds for growing their skills.
Adora Land is the grantmaking director at the Bush Foundation. She said this year’s fellows come from diverse fields, from education to journalism to mental health advocacy.
“There’s just so many different opportunities and people, and what I’m seeing so far is that they are really motivated to grow their capacity as leaders,” Bush said.
Several say they’ll use the funding for doctoral or master’s studies. Others are putting it towards travel, networking and professional training.
Twenty-four of the fellows are from Minnesota and Native nations in the state. Land said it was the most competitive application process in the program’s history, with just under a thousand applicants.
2025 Bush Fellows
Jeffrey Aguy (Maple Grove)
Mohamed Ahmed (St. Paul)
Arif Bakar (Blaine)
Chanda Smith Baker (Minneapolis)
Talaya Dendy (Hastings)
Naima Dhore (Dalbo)
Sarah Dixon-Hackey (West Fargo, N.D.)
Georgia Fort (St. Paul)
James Garrett Jr. (St. Paul)
Nathaniel Gibbs (Maple Grove)
Jason Grueneich (Bismarck, N.D.)
Ma Elena Gutierrez (Sauk Rapids)
Anisa Hagi-Mohamed (Bloomington)
Leya Hale (West St. Paul)
Kelis Houston (Minneapolis)
Fatimah Hussein (Minneapolis)
Carl D. Johnson (St. Paul)
Marvis Kilgore (St. Paul)
John Little (Vermillion, S.D.)
Maychee Mua (Cottage Grove)
Deqa Muhidin (Apple Valley)
Akram Osman (Elysian)
Richard Pallay III (Fargo, N.D.)
Lori Pourier (Hermosa, S.D.)
Elvis Rivera (Brooklyn Park)
Curtis Rogers (White Earth Nation)
Amáda Márquez Simula (Columbia Heights)
Megan Treuer (Esko)
Muhidin Warfa (Columbia Heights)
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