Meet Point Foundation’s LGBTQ scholarship recipients who want to improve the world

LGBTQ Scholarships

These 20 advocates for LGBTQ rights and social justice, young scientists, medical students, and activists who will impact professions from law and business to the arts are among the recipients of 2018 scholarships from the Point Foundation, the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ students announced today. Photo: Point Foundation.

MIRACLE MILE — Advocates for LGBTQ rights and social justice, young scientists, medical students, and activists who will impact professions from law and business to the arts are among the 45 recipients of 2018 scholarships from the Point Foundation, the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ students announced today.

Of that total, 20 students are Point Scholars and 25 are recipients of Point’s community college scholarship program, according to a press statement.

LGBTQ SCHOLARSHIPS

The average cash award for scholars is $11,000 and for community college students it’s $3,800, said Eugene Patron, spokesman with the Point Foundation, which is headquartered in the Miracle Mile.

“Point’s diverse class of scholarship recipients give us hope and make us proud,” said Jorge Valencia, executive director and chief executive officer of Point Foundation. “These young leaders are determined to make our nation and our world a much better place than it is today.”

LGBTQ BARRIERS

In addition to their accomplishments, many of the scholarship recipients have overcome barriers common among LGBTQ people, including discrimination, immigration status, homelessness, family rejection, and abuse.

Point Scholars demographics:

  • 70% identify as people of color or bi/multiracial
  • 60% identify as other than male
  • 55% identify as bisexual, polysexual, or queer
  • 45% identify as transgender or gender nonconforming
  • 35% are first-generation college students

Community college scholarship demographics:

  • 72% as people of color or bi/multiracial
  • 64% identify as other than male
  • 64% identify as bisexual, polysexual, or queer
  • 40% identify as transgender or gender nonconforming
  • 56% are first-generation students

Here are some of the scholars. For a complete list, click here.

  • Kevin Canton Mancia (El Salvador), bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics at UC Berkeley
  • Nia Clark (Boston), bachelor’s degree in social work at California State University Los Angeles
  • Jose Cortez (Chino), Medical degree at UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco
  • John Daniel (New Albany, Mississippi), health professions education at  California State University East Bay
  • Leanne Ho (Orange), bachelor’s degree in English at University of Oklahoma
  • Lis Jimenez (Los Angeles), bachelor’s in sociology at Occidental College
  • Anthony Pacheco (Cathedral City), bachelor’s in applied mathematics at USC
  • Teague Shattuck (San Jose), bachelor’s in philosophy at Reed College
  • Zoe Ridolfi-Starr (San Jose), law degree at New York University School of Law
  • Vanessa Warri (San Francisco), bachelor’s in anthropology from UCLA
  • Jimin Won (Gardena) Master’s of business administration in finance at Cornell University

About the author

Phillip Zonkel

Award-winning journalist Phillip Zonkel spent 17 years at Long Beach's Press-Telegram, where he was the first reporter in the paper's history to have a beat covering the city's vibrant LGBTQ. He also created and ran the popular and innovative LGBTQ news blog, Out in the 562.

He won two awards and received a nomination for his reporting on the local LGBTQ community, including a two-part investigation that exposed anti-gay bullying of local high school students and the school districts' failure to implement state mandated protections for LGBTQ students.

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