University of Mississippi alumnus Andy Flores is among 30 graduate students nationwide to earn a prestigious fellowship that provides merit-based funding for new Americans, immigrants and children of immigrants.
The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans provides up to $90,000 for graduate studies. The award was created in 1997 and has provided more than $80 million to students in a range of fields, from medicine and law to the arts and business.
Flores is the university's second recipient of a Soros Fellowship. He is pursuing a law degree at Yale Law School.
"This honor is truly extraordinary, both for Andy and for the University of Mississippi," said Vivian Ibrahim, associate professor of history and director of the Office of National Scholarship Advisement. "The fellowship is one of the most competitive and prestigious graduate fellowships in the country, recognizing not only academic excellence but also leadership, creativity and a deep commitment to serving others.
"Andy's selection speaks to his remarkable record of advocacy and impact, particularly on behalf of first-generation, low-income and underrepresented students."
Flores, born and raised in Ocean Springs to Panamanian and Mexican immigrants, is already contributing to society and plans to do more.
The first-generation college student graduated in 2023 as co-class marshal of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College with a degree in public policy leadership and a minor in philosophy. It was at Ole Miss that he came into his own.
"Going to the University of Mississippi is the best decision I ever made," he said. "In high school, I knew I was smart, but I had a tough home life and didn't feel equipped to reach my full academic potential. When I got to Ole Miss, however, I fell in love with learning and felt my world expand like never before.
"I felt like I truly belonged for the first time in my life. In the process, I became fascinated with education itself – what we learn for, how we fund classrooms and ultimately, how we can support American democracy through the learning process."
Since graduating from Ole Miss, the 2022 Harry S. Truman Scholar and 2024 Rhodes Scholarship finalist worked with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C., to learn more about civil rights advocacy, higher education and nonprofits. He also has worked at the Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator for Political Economy and Regulation in Nashville.
Most recently, he co-founded the Public Interest Law Association, a national nonprofit cultivating the next generation of public interest lawyers.
"Spanning fields such as civil rights, criminal legal reform, voting rights, education and more, we provide programming and resource guides to more than 500 students across most states in the U.S.," he said. "In the future, we want to match students with paid summer internships in the public interest legal sector."
Flores' concern and care for others when it comes to education is recognized.
"Andy is an incredible force and a light to every room he steps in, and he may well be the hardest working person I know," said Melissa Jones, associate director of the university's Trent Lott Leadership Institute. "He exemplifies the promise of education, as an opportunity to expand your mind and an allowance to love others better, particularly those from different backgrounds."
At UM, Flores co-founded and led the First-Generation Network and mobilized students throughout Mississippi to push back against reductions in financial aid through the HelpSaveHELP campaign.
"What stands out most about Andy is his consistent ability to turn vision into action," Ibrahim said. "He is driven by a desire to make education more accessible and equitable."
Flores intends to return to Mississippi after completing law school. With interests in civil rights litigation and perhaps becoming a law professor, he wants to write and speak about how education in America can be transformed for the better.
"I plan to return to Mississippi, working at the intersections of higher education and legislative leadership," he said. "I believe the greatest thing I could ever do with my life is to teach and advocate for vulnerable people, uplifting Mississippi in the process."
Flores will be "an unstoppable servant leader and champion of education in the South," said Kyle Fritz, associate professor of public policy leadership.
"With the legal expertise afforded by a Juris Doctor, alongside the determination, creativity and selflessness he has shown, I cannot think of a more fitting exemplar of the values of a New American: hope, perseverance, equality and justice," Fritz said. "I cannot wait to see his accomplishments.
"The South, and especially Mississippi, is counting on him."
Throughout it all, Flores has embraced the Hotty Toddy spirit.
"'Hotty Toddy' means a willingness to center community while, at the same time, meeting challenges head-on," he said. "As a future attorney, you can bet that I'll never back down from the greatest challenges facing America.
"In the process, I'll be spreading love, joy and community wherever I go."
