Ten Los Angeles County high school seniors will each receive $10,000 and gain lifetime career support after being named 2026 Milken Scholars, the Santa Monica-based Milken Family Foundation announced Monday, July 7.

The program, a joint initiative of the Milken Institute and the Milken Family Foundation — both headquartered at 1250 Fourth Street in Santa Monica — honors students for academic achievement, community service, leadership, and perseverance through personal challenges.

The 10 scholars and their college destinations: Brandon Chang (West Ranch High School, Harvard); Adrian Drouin (Harvard-Westlake, Columbia); Rachel Hang-Rothman (Mira Costa High School, Cornell); Noa Jacoby (Milken Community School, Vanderbilt); Gabrielle Kadouri (Milken Community School, University of Texas at Austin); Jianing "Jackie" Li (Walnut High School, Northwestern); Jaiden Nwabuzor (California Academy of Mathematics and Science, Yale); Valeria Urbalejo (Harbor Teacher Preparatory Academy, Yale); Brendon Wu (Alhambra High School, Stanford); and Andrea Yang (Diamond Bar High School, MIT).

More than half of this year's class will be the first in their families to attend college. Nearly a quarter were born outside the United States, and the group collectively traces roots to 14 countries across Latin America, West Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Beyond the cash prize, each scholar gains lifelong access to college advising, career counseling, internship placement, and a fund covering graduate school applications, study abroad, and unpaid internships, according to the foundation's press release.

Several scholars turned hardship into action. Adrian Drouin was displaced by the Eaton Fire and then volunteered with Friends In Deed, distributing food and providing Spanish translation. Valeria Urbalejo, a first-generation college student, designed a peer tutoring pilot she presented to LAUSD board members and helped establish a sensory room for autistic children at a public library. Brendon Wu's AI project Narco-Aegis was named one of five national finalists in the U.S. Presidential AI Challenge, and he helped develop AI ethics training for thousands of LA County Department of Public Health employees.

Brandon Chang founded GalaxSea Explorers, a nonprofit that has delivered free space education to more than 260,000 low-income students worldwide. His work earned recognition from CBS News and the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award.

The Milken Scholars Program was established in 1989 by philanthropists Mike and Lori Milken. As of 2025, it had supported nearly 600 students representing more than 80 countries. Past scholars include inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and Dr. Joelle Simpson, chief of emergency medicine at Children's National Hospital.

The scholars will attend a three-day national summit in Washington, D.C., at the end of July titled "Leading in a New Era," where their personal biographies will be featured in exhibits at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream on Pennsylvania Avenue.