As the 2024-25 school year begins, students return to colleges, universities, and schools that may be more unwelcoming to LGBTQ+ students. This semester, states nationwide are enforcing new policies that target students’ education, LGBTQ+ services, and hiring and recruitment policies.
While 16 bills are taking effect in higher education campuses nationwide, an additional 500+ anti-LGBTQ+ bills are being considered in state legislatures, many of which directly affect LGBTQ+ students on campus. These bills impact college students in several ways:
- Altered Academic Offerings: Anti-LGBTQ+ policies remove classes from the available curriculum for students, limiting educational opportunities.
- Faculty and Staff Hiring Policies: Some bills alter hiring policies, stripping universities of practices that address institutional barriers based on race, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
- Student Recruitment Policies: These policies affect how schools recruit students, undermining efforts to expand access on campuses.
Providing LGBTQ+ Scholarships
Point Foundation is committed to giving LGBTQ+ and ally students the support they need and empowering them to thrive despite obstacles. Here is how just six of our 755 Point Scholars nationwide use Point’s support to fight back and build community resilience when LGBTQ+ rights are on the chopping block.
Meet the 2024-25 Scholars Standing Up for the LGBTQ+ Community
Fighting for Equal Rights
Rio Dennis (she/her) – Point Flagship Scholar with a Victoria’s Secret Scholarship
Georgetown University
Rio, from Jersey City, New Jersey, is a JD/MBA candidate at Georgetown University, focusing on constitutional law and economics. She has held numerous leadership roles at Georgetown and received multiple fellowships. Before returning to school, Rio worked at Goldman Sachs, where she co-founded the Client Experience Group DEI Council. With a background in economics from the Wharton School, Rio aspires to be a civil rights attorney advocating for equal rights for people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Policy Development
Rehman – Point Flagship Scholar with an Amazon Scholarship
Stanford University
Rehman, from Texas, is a passionate human rights advocate who has made a significant impact through their work with iCure, an organization they founded at age 11 to improve public health access and education. Recognized as a WHO Adolescent Champion and a UN Refugee Agency Young Champion, Rehman has consulted for various international organizations and authored numerous papers. They aspire to develop culturally competent policies to enhance the well-being of underserved communities. Rehman's policy and public health work aims to make education more accessible for disenfranchised populations.
LGBTQ+ Research
JT – Point Flagship Scholar with a TIAA Scholarship
University of California, Davis
JT is a first-generation Vietnamese-American and the first in their family to pursue post-secondary education. As a medical student, academic researcher, and Community Health Scholar at UC Davis School of Medicine, JT is dedicated to uplifting the voices of disempowered communities and backing their diverse healthcare needs. JT's research on health disparities faced by transgender youth experiencing homelessness informs their goal to improve health policies for transgender youth and create a more trans-affirmative healthcare environment.
Creating Safe Environments
Jessie – Point Flagship Scholar
University of Illinois, Chicago
Jessie Miller founded the Bi+ Resilience Alliance for Violence Eradication (BRAVE) to combat bisexual domestic violence. She has served on the boards of the Bisexual Queer Alliance Chicago and the Bisexual Organizing Project in Minnesota. Jessie is currently pursuing a doctorate in sociology at the University of Illinois Chicago, researching bisexual health and queer criminology. She dreams of becoming a community college professor, fostering a supportive environment for future students. Jessie aims to create safe spaces and support networks for the bisexual community and address their health disparities.
Innovating Housing
Monisha - Point Access Scholar
University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Monisha "Mo" Pirela is a recent graduate of Central Piedmont Community College and a native of New Bern, NC, currently residing in Charlotte, NC. She has held positions as the Student Equity Council's communications and public relations chair, been named an NC Scholar of Global Distinction, and been inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. In addition to being named a Community College Global Affairs Fellow, Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar, Truist Honors Scholar, Fund for Education Abroad Alumni, and Levine Foundation Scholar, she also received the 2023 Charlotte Pride Champion of Pride Scholarship Award. Her academic focus combines architecture with social justice, aiming to impact societal structures locally and globally.
Thriving Together
Jacoby - Community College Scholar with a Sallie Mae Scholarship
Monroe Community College
After returning to school in his forties, Jacoby gained a new perspective on education and prioritized LGBTQ+ community health and wellness.
Jacoby is pursuing an education in healthcare navigation, trans-specific service provision, access, and ethics in the health, behavioral health, wellness, and nonprofit sectors. He believes in supporting each other to thrive together.
