---
title: "The Aaron Price Fellows Program: Fostering Community Leaders"
date: "2025-12-09"
categories:
  - education
---

# The Aaron Price Fellows Program: Fostering Community Leaders

The Aaron Price Fellows Program is an initiative dedicated to preparing highly motivated and diverse public high school students from San Diego to become responsible, engaged, and caring members of their community. Recruiting for the Class of 2029, the program seeks to cultivate future leaders through unique experiences and rigorous development.

## Program Overview

**Mission:** Equips diverse San Diego public high school students with skills and mindset for active community contribution.

**Eligibility:** 9th graders from Hoover, Lincoln, Morse, Point Loma, San Diego, or University City High School, minimum 3.0 GPA, desire to learn, positive outlook, and availability for scheduled programs.

**Key Experiences:** Engaging with leaders, exploring careers, and building friendships with diverse peers.

**Application Information:**
Applications for the Class of 2029 are due on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, and are accessible online or via hard copy at school counseling centers. Further details can be found on the program's [website](https://aaronpricefellows.org/) or through school counselors.

## Insights from a Fellow's Experience

The Aaron Price Fellows Program is recognized as a competitive and elite program where passion for community engagement meets practical application. It provides fellows with the educational means to make a tangible impact in their communities. Through monthly meetings, the program cultivates a deep sense of care for societal impact, moving beyond abstract ideas to concrete action. These sessions often include behind-the-scenes exposure to political congregations, medical institutions, hospital practices, and homeless outreach, effectively unveiling the realities of society and fostering individuals who not only discuss change but actively bring it about.

Fellows have described transformative experiences, including travel to significant national locations, such as Washington, D.C., where one had the opportunity to meet Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and discuss the enduring nature of empathy in challenging institutional environments. The program is noted for expanding a fellow's natural instinct to serve, providing avenues to work with diverse communities and contribute in ways that might not be possible independently.

Participation in the Aaron Price Fellows Program also hones critical skills, such as public speaking, and emphasizes the value of academic conversation as a collaborative process rather than mere performance. For many, the program serves as a pivotal experience in identifying a personal "throughline" of being consistently willing to help, aligning program experiences with broader aspirations, such as a commitment to medicine—encompassing research, discovery, and extending the reach of care. The program ultimately helps fellows clarify their purpose and understand how their varied experiences contribute to a coherent personal narrative focused on service and impact.