The PRSA Foundation announced the 2026 class of the Foster the Future fellowship program. Foster the Future is a collaborative initiative between Mission North, communications agency partners, and the PRSA Foundation to mobilize the public relations and communications industry for transformative change.
Launched in 2022, the Foster the Future program is expanding its impact with the support of 12 leading PR and communications agencies, including six new partners this year. In addition to a paid internship at each participating agency, a total of $102,000 in scholarships and stipends will be awarded to fellowship recipients through the PRSA Foundation, establishing a new record and exceeding last year’s award value by more than $9,000. To date, $356,500 has been awarded to 32 students.
This year’s fellowship recipients are:
- AGEAN Public Relations Fellowship: Desiree Lawrence, Rutgers University
- EvolveMKD Fellowship: Sophia Jreij, New York University
- Greenough Communications Fellowship: Audrey Lee, Boston University
- Hannah Cranston Media Fellowship: Aliza Nanku, William Paterson University and Uma Surampudi, New York University
- Hirsch Leatherwood Fellowship: Sofia Gonzalez Bernier, Boston University
- Kite Hill Fellowship: Olivia Merced, University of Delaware
- LaunchSquad Fellowship: Laura Leonel, Stockton University
- Mission North Fellowship: Alexia Soriano, University of Florida
- Scout Lab Fellowship: Grace Velazquez, Montclair State University
- SolComms Fellowship: Emma Alexander, Cornell University
- The Key PR Fellowship: Teairra Brown, San Jose State University
- V2 Communications Fellowship: Ariel Lee, New York University
The fellowship recipients will complete a five-to-13-week paid internship this summer, using a curriculum developed by Mission North in 2022. Fellowship recipients will also receive professional development training from Muck Rack, Strong Professional, and Brian Simon Associates to accelerate their careers.
“Congratulations to this year’s Foster the Future fellows,” said Natan Edelsburg, president of the PRSA Foundation’s Board of Trustees. “Programs like this are critical to opening doors and creating real pathways into the industry. It’s especially exciting to see the program continue to grow, with more agency partners and greater investment in these students’ futures.”
The fellowship recipients will be recognized with other PRSA Foundation scholarship and grant recipients at the PRSSA awards ceremony at ICON 2026 in Orlando, Fla.
