2013-2014 Annual Report
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2013-2014 ANNUAL REPORT www.pointfoundation.org Point Foundation (Point) empowers promising lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender & queer (LGBTQ) students to achieve their full academic & leadership potential— despite the obstacles often put before them—to make a significant impact on society. Executive Message 2 Scholar Support & Selections 4 TABLE Leadership 8 OF Community Service 10 Mentoring 11 CONTENTS Internships 12 Alumni 13 Events 14 Corporations & Foundations 16 Scholarships 18 Sponsorships 20 Legacy Circle 22 Cornerstone Society 23 Donors 24 Valedictorian Society 28 In Memoriam 30 Boards & Staff 31 Combined Federal Campaign 32 Financials 33 Featured photography by Kevin Day EXECUTIVE MESSAGE Dear Point Supporters, Our abilities as individuals to effect change may seem small, but we can accomplish much when we share a common vision and sense of purpose. Mother Teresa said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” Point Foundation is a community of individuals making it possible for LGBTQ young people to achieve a higher education degree and avail themselves of greater opportunities in life. Each scholar we help is a ripple, and collectively, our 80 current Point Scholars and 184 Point Alumni are a wave of change moving through society. To achieve our mission and help as many young people as possible, the Point family of scholars, alumni, board members, trustees, mentors and staff, must continue to change and evolve. “New” may not always result in “improved,” but stasis never leads to success. The Point family is a close-knit group embracing big aims and proud achievements. Some of what we do started off as a ripple and then grew, such as launching a new social media campaign this year - educate2impact - to encourage students to stay in school and get their degree. Point also partnered with Campus Pride to create an online National LGBT Scholarship Database, a comprehensive public resource of scholarship and funding resources. 2 • Point Foundation • 2013-2014 Annual Report Leadership • Education • Community • Empowerment • Mentorship At other times, we make a big splash. This year we honored acclaimed TV producer Dr. Neal Baer, and “Girls” creator and star Lena Dunham, at our Point Honors gala at the landmark New York Public Library building on Fifth Avenue. Point also scored big in being able to honor the the first openly gay player to play in any of the North American pro sports leagues, Jason Collins, at our Leadership Dinner, and songwriter Diane Warren at the Voices On Point dinner and concert in Los Angeles. We are especially proud that both Dr. Baer and Mr. Collins have joined our honorary board. Everyone who supports the work of Point Foundation and our Point Scholars is helping to make waves of change in society. A contribution of time or resources to Point is a ripple that touches others. It inspires all of the Point family to keep working toward a sea change that will bring equitable opportunities and rights to LGBTQ people everywhere. On behalf of Point Foundation and our Point family, thank you for the support that keeps hope and encouragement flowing to LGBTQ students. Sincerely, Richard Ziegelasch Kevin Chase Jorge Valencia Board of Directors, Board of Directors, Executive Director Co-Chair Co-Chair & CEO Point Foundation • 2013-2014 Annual Report • 3 POINT SCHOLARS IN THE 2014 CLASS ARE ENROLLED AT: American University Boston College Law School Boston University Brigham Young University Brown University Centenary College of Louisiana Columbia Business School SCHOLAR Columbia University DePaul University Duke University SUPPORT & Emerson College Florida State University SELECTIONS Grand Valley State University Harvard College Harvard Kennedy School/ Attaining a higher education degree became possible for 23 new undergraduate Stanford School of Business (joint program) and graduate students who received Point Foundation Scholarships in 2014. Harvard Medical School All demonstrate academic excellence, leadership skills, community involvement, Harvard University financial need, and the ability to overcome obstacles. The 23 Point Scholar- Johns Hopkins University ship recipients were chosen from nearly 2,100 scholarship candidates who used Johnson and Wales University Point’s online application process. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY Massachusetts Institute of Technology For the 2014-2015 academic year Point is providing financial assistance and Mills College programmatic support to 80 full-time students. Morehouse College Mount Holyoke College Point’s multifaceted support for scholars extends far beyond our direct financial New York University contribution to the cost of their education. Each scholar is also paired with a North Carolina State University mentor, and participates in leadership development and training in civic en- Northwestern University School of Law/ gagement. Point Scholars concretely give back to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern transgender and queer community through the completion of individual com- (joint program) munity service projects each year. Oberlin College Scholars can also engage with the Point community by being invited to join the Pratt Institute Scholar Subcommittee, which works throughout the year on ways to enhance Rutgers School of Law - Newark leadership development. This past year, the Scholar Subcommittee organized San Francisco Art Institute several components of the Scholar & Alumni Leadership Conference, and San Francisco State University directly connected with scholarship applicants through the “Ask a Point Sarah Lawrence College Scholar” webpage. School of the Art Institute of Chicago Simmons College 4 • Point Foundation • 2013-2014 Annual Report Stanford University “There aren’t many LGBTQ scholarships in SUNY Upstate Medical University existence, just as there is not a lot of support The University of Alabama that queer writers and artists can count on. The University of Idaho Point Foundation’s support has allowed me The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Towson University to dedicate more of my time and energy to Tufts University my education, to my students, and to touring UCLA Geffen School of Medicine my book through parts of the country where University of California, Berkeley/ young queer writers and artists may not have University of California, San Francisco (joint program) access to an LGBTQ community. Point has University of California, Berkeley shown me the importance of that community University of California, Davis University of California, Los Angeles and has inspired me to build it up in every University of Chicago way I can.” University of Miami – Meg Day, Voices on Point Scholar University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California University of Utah University of Washington School of Law University of Washington, Seattle University of Wisconsin, Madison Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Virginia Commonwealth University Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University MEG DAY Meg Day was raised in San Carlos, California. After coming out at the University of California, San Diego, Meg ran the queer reading series T.M.I. and competed in the poetry slam community. She received an MFA in Poetry from Mills College and worked as a teaching artist before moving to Salt Lake City to pursue a Ph.D. in Poetry & Disability Poetics at the University of Utah. Meg is the recipient of an NEA Fellowship in Poetry, among other awards and fellowships, and is the author of Last Psalm at Sea Level, winner of the 2013 Barrow Street Press Poetry Prize. She is also the author of When All You Have Is a Hammer, winner of the 2012 Gertrude Press Chapbook Contest, and We Can’t Read This, winner of the 2013 Gazing Grain Chapbook Contest. Point Foundation • 2013-2014 Annual Report • 5 2014 Frederick Adenuga Erin Armstrong Ishan Asokan POINT SCHOLAR Meg Day Kale Edminston CLASS Crys O’Grady 6 • Point Foundation • 2013-2014 Annual Report Brittney Balkcom Morgan Cheatham Win Chesson Bridgette Davis Gregory Davis Elizabeth Ehret Samy Galvez Alexa Groenke Marcus Lee Samir Luther Jez Marston Emmett Patterson Kyle Ranieri Jacob Rudolph AJ Singletary Erika Sommer Audrey Stewart Point Foundation • 2013-2014 Annual Report • 7 LEADERSHIP The 2014 Point Foundation Scholar & Alumni Leadership Conference was held in Boston for four busy and fun days of programing and events. This year’s conference theme, “On the Freedom Trail to Full Equality,” allowed the 170 members of the Point family in attendance – scholars, alumni, board members, trustees and staff – to acknowl- edge Boston’s vital role in the history of our nation, higher education, activism and LGBTQ equality. Conference highlights included a conversation with New York Times best-selling author Janet Mock, moderated by Point Alum Derrick Clifton; a “State of the Community” session, featuring a briefing from White House LGBT Liaison Gautam Raghavan; a walking tour ex- ploring Boston’s LGBTQ history; and screenings of the documentary “TWO: The Story of Roman and Nyro,” and the Amazon web series “Transparent,” whose cast includes Point Honorary Board member Judith Light and Associate Producer, Point Alum Rhys Ernst. Con- ference programing also included sessions on sharpening advocacy skills, personal and professional development, a scholar panel on in- tersectionality, and a scholar poster fair depicting their