Interfaith America is excited to announce the 2025-26 cohort of the Building Relationships Across Interfaith Differences (BRAID) Fellowship. Returning for its second year, the BRAID Fellowship aims to cultivate undergraduate leaders in interfaith and bridgebuilding work.
This year’s cohort represents the diversity of American higher education, supporting 20 student leaders from a wide array of institutions, including public and private universities, faith-based colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), as well as major research institutions and a community college.
The fellowship commenced with an opening retreat on Jan. 16-18 at Emory University’s Interfaith Center in Atlanta. During the retreat, fellows connected with their peers and discussed bridgebuilding work, storytelling, and ways to make space for complex dialogue.
“If we are all coming from different backgrounds, from different faiths, and from different cultures and still manage to have conversations, despite our differences and despite our disagreements … that’s a brave space” reflected fellow Akram Idriss, a junior at Abilene Christian University.
The retreat also gave student leaders a chance to connect with interfaith mentors and ideate on the campus interfaith projects the fellowship includes. “I love carrying out projects on campus, and I knew this [fellowship] would give me more tools and training to be able to do that,” said fellow Ella Paligo, a junior at Brigham Young University.
The fellowship runs through August with virtual training, mentorship, and support for campus projects. It will conclude with sessions at the 2026 Interfaith Leadership Summit.
The 2026 BRAID Fellowship Cohort includes:
- Akram Idriss, Abilene Christian University
- Alishba Murad, New York University
- Aryan Joshi, University of Virginia
- Ashley Lulkin, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign
- Avery Field, American University
- Charlie Rhodes, Brigham Young University
- Donatus Junior Nkwefor Fru, University of St. Thomas MN
- Ella Dempsey, University of Michigan
- Ella Paligo, Brigham Young University
- Elle Rosenthal, Emory University
- Em Irlmeier, Simpson College
- Francis Adom, Livingstone College
- Julia Alch, Benedictine University
- Keven Guruswamy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- Mohtisham Saqib, Suffolk County Community College (SUNY)
- Nejra Idrizović, Methodist University
- Palmer Yerima, Hamilton College
- Sanjina Kumari, Pacific Lutheran University
- Will Decker, Auburn University
- Zain Memon, Harvard University
The 2026 BRAID Mentors include:
- Marja Humphrey, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator in the School Counseling program, Bowie State University
- Ethan Bair, Bridgebuilding Consultant at Hillel International & educational consultant for USC Shoah Foundation
- Paul Lambert, Religion & Human Flourishing Initiative Director at Wheatley Institute, Brigham Young University
- Najeeba Syeed, Inaugural El-Hibri Endowed Chair and Executive Director of the Interfaith Institute, Augsburg University
- Sable Manson, Assistant Director for Student Leadership and Development at the Joint Education Project, University of Southern California
- seigen johnson, Interfaith Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life at Whitman College
