COLAGE Scholarship Program for students with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer (LGBTQ) parent(s)

ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES Lee Dubin Memorial Scholarship Internship Program

Sponsored by COLAGE with generous support from the Horizons Foundation Joseph Towner Fund

Applications must be postmarked by Friday, April 30, 2010.

Background

COLAGE will award four scholarships to children of LGBTQ parents through a fund honoring the memory of community member and gay father Lee Dubin. Each scholarship will provide $1,000 to post-secondary students who have one or more LGBTQ parent(s)/guardian(s) and have demonstrated ability and commitment to effecting change in the LGBTQ community and the community at large.

APPLY NOW 2010 Scholarship Application (PDF) 2010 Scholarship Application (Word)

Lee Dubin Memorial Fund

Some of the most powerful members of the LGBTQ community are the children of LGBTQ parents who have grown up being nurtured and supported by this community and are now part of a whole generation of people who have the power to create dramatic change in the world. The fund was named for the father of COLAGE founder Ali Nickel-Dubin and through college scholarships, aims to honor our collective power and celebrate the unique experiences and achievements of our families. Students who are actively working to combat the intersections of racism, homophobia, and/or transphobia/ gender-based discrimination, and increase positive awareness of LGBTQ families are strongly encouraged to apply.

Requirements

Applicants must:

• Have one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/ or queer parent(s)/guardian(s).
• Be enrolled in an accredited postsecondary institution. No graduate level or higher applicants please.
• Include financial aid form.
• Maintain a minimum unweighted GPA of 2.0.

Guidelines for consideration

• Four grants of $1,000 each will be awarded.
• Awards will be granted by the COLAGE Scholarship Committee, which is made up of volunteers who are LGBTQ parents and adult children of LGBTQ parents.
• Applicants of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. COLAGE does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, physical dis/ability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, immigration/refugee status, age, gender, or type of LGBTQ family.
• Board or staff members of COLAGE, and their immediate family members, are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants must be willing to be named publicly in association with COLAGE, Horizons Foundation, and the Scholarship Program.
• Applicants with demonstrated economic need are encouraged to apply.

COLAGE is excited to announce the recipients of the 2009 Lee Dubin Memorial Scholarship for undergraduate students with LGBTQ parents. This year we had a tremendous response from students all over the country. All of the candidates demonstrated that our COLAGE community is diverse, talented and committed to causes that matter most to our families. A huge thank you to our volunteer committee for their work in reviewing each application and choosing the outstanding recipients below.

Elizabeth Elmore is starting her third year of college at the Kansas State University this fall, in Manhattan, Kansas where she hopes to achieve a Bachelors of Science in Agronomy and Environment Sustainability. At a young age she has faced advisory when members of the Fred Phelps Congregation would picket the church where she and her gay father would attend. Since then she has started a GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) at her high school, and being involved broadly in the LGBT social justice movement. Most recently she has been fighting for same-sex partner benefits in the workplace.

Melissa Goette is starting her freshman year at Columbia College Hollywood, in Tarzana, CA where she hopes to pursue a BA in Screenwriting. Growing up a daughter of a transgender parent in an intolerant part of Texas has opened her eyes to the injustices in America at an early age. Since then she has funneled her energies in getting the word out about LGBT issues. Senior year of High School she campaigned to get a GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) at her school. Melissa recently has moved to California where she especially focused on the No on 8 campaign and being visible in and around LA.

Elizabeth Warren is starting her freshman year at the American University in Washington D.C. where she hopes to pursue Political Science and History. Growing up with gay parents has taught her to not allow injustice to pass on by. Elizabeth showed this when in her junior year of high school she helped fight a discriminatory action at her school placed on a transgender student. She stood up for the student in hopes that someday the school could be tolerant.

Cara Cerise is starting her freshman year at Westminster College in hopes of an undergraduate degree in Social Science. She grew up proud of her two dads and in high school started a club called BOND (Building One New Dream) which focused on breaking barriers and creating a safe environment at her high school. Currently Cara is finishing a gap year in Paraguay in which she has been learning Spanish, teaching English and working with HIV positive teens at a local AIDS outreach center. She has been featured in the Just For Us publication as well being a member of the Speak Out program.

Olivia Parker will be starting her freshman year at Columbia College in Chicago, IL. She grew up in Minneapolis, MN with two families including her moms and her brother and sister. While in high school Olivia helped to start a group, Alliance for Racial Equality to address racism she and friends saw and experienced in school. She has also been active in her church and the local LGBT community. She says her family helped teach her to accept people and stand up for her rights.