Akiko Kono
2026 Pelosi Scholar
Class of 2028
Major: Science, Technology, and International Affairs
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA/Dubuque, IA
Akiko’s interests center on inclusive governance shaped by place, identity, and cross-cultural experience. She grew up in Los Angeles but moved to Iowa her sophomore year of high school, a transition that sparked her passion for how national and international issues affect small-town and rural communities in the American Midwest.
Whether presenting LGBTQ+ youth advocacy workshops across North America, starting a voter outreach initiative in small-town Iowa, or studying abroad in Taiwan as a NSLI-Y Scholar, her experiences have reinforced her belief that effective policymaking must include underrepresented and multicultural voices.
Akiko is so excited to join this year’s Pelosi Scholar cohort to learn from the diverse knowledge of her peers and mentors.