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Q&A: MD Student Daniela Delgado Looks Back At The Fellowship

Photograph of a woman in her 20s who has heritage from Colombia, with light skin tone and long black straight hair. She is wearing black graduation robes and a grad hat with a multi-colored banner that says "Latina" around her neck. She is smiling at the camera and holding her diploma.

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans provides two years of funding for outstanding graduate students who are immigrants and children of immigrants. After two years the Fellows join a lifelong community of past Fellows. We asked Daniela Delgado, a 2015 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow, to look back at the first two years of the Fellowship and what they have meant to her.

Daniela will be a Resident Physician in family medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center this upcoming June. She is originally from Bogotá, Colombia and migrated to Miami, FL at the age of twelve with her mom and sister. Her focus before and throughout medical school has been on community-based advocacy, working with farmworkers and domestic workers. 

You’re now finishing up the second year of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program. Has the Fellowship been what you expected?

The PD Soros Fellowship has surpassed any expectations. When I talk about the Fellowship to others I find myself often using the words, “community” and “family.” Through this Fellowship I found a community of talented and charismatic individuals who also care deeply about transforming the world. I found a family I can talk to about my past and current hardships, friends who are always there when I need them. The value of this Fellowship highly exceeds its monetary support and it is truly life changing.

Do you have any favorite memories from your Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship experience?

I have plenty of great memories from my Fellowship experience. One of the most memorable happened on that first Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships Fall Conference in October of 2015, when suddenly I was in a room with people, who a minute ago were strangers but quickly became dear friends. That Saturday morning when I met my co-Fellows and when we poured our hearts out to one another, when we spoke about the pain of migration and acculturation, the hardships of visas and language, of poverty and survival, that is when I knew I had found a group like no other. This group knew the true meaning of resilience and was willing to hold my hand as we all practice it together.  

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of applying?

For anyone thinking of applying to the PD Soros Fellowship, there are some suggestions I would make. First of all, be proud and true to your immigrant story. Be aware that telling your story might be difficult, but do not be afraid to be upfront and honest about your hardships. This is the most incredible Fellowship you could ever be part of, which makes the extensive application and interview process completely worth it.

You received the Fellowship to attend Harvard Medical School. Where are you with your graduate program now? What’s next?

At the moment, I am graduating from Harvard Medical School finally as a doctor! I will be starting residency in family medicine at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in mid-June. I will be moving from the beautiful city of Boston to sunny Los Angeles, where I will be working at a public hospital taking care of mostly uninsured or underinsured patients, many who are Spanish-speaking immigrants like me. I am beyond excited to start this new chapter and to have the privilege of being a physician in training serving a vulnerable community.

How do you plan to stay active with the Fellowship community in the years to come?

I am honored and grateful to have the opportunity to still be part of the Fellowship community for many years to come. I hope to stay involved by continuing to connect with my co-Fellows, attending any near-by Fellowship-sponsored events, and of course I cannot wait for the 20th year reunion to see everyone again! I would be more than happy to mentor any Fellows in the future and hopefully one day take part in the incredible admissions process. ∎

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