Meet Our Scholars
Felix Kiene-Gualtieri
NYU
Photography and Imaging
He/Him/His
Flagship
Wells Fargo Scholar
Felix grew up in Lynn, Massachusetts, attending a mix of private, charter, and public schools. He was an outgoing kid who embraced change, until the age of 13 when he publicly came out and began to understand the social stigma attached to having an LGBTQ+ identity. Through the support of his parents, community, and Unitarian Universalist church, Felix was able to rise above discrimination and envision how he could promote equality and inclusion for youth minorities. He became a Peer Mentor at NAGLY, a local LGBTQ+ youth organization, where he helped kids feel safe and brave. As a summer camp counselor, he helped vulnerable kids find their voice and strength. He proudly served on his school’s Inclusivity Panel, and as a Massachusetts Youth Leadership Foundation 2019 MassSTAR alumni and 2020 Peer Mentor, Felix has honed his leadership and teamwork skills to serve others and promote change. As a photographer and filmmaker, and with the help of a devoted youth arts organization called Raw Art Works, Felix found ways to use his creative talents to further the message of societal equity and bring attention to the mental health issues that arise from lack of support to vulnerable minorities. Felix’s films have been selected for festivals around the world and have won several awards. His photographs have been shown in local and New York galleries. He will be pursuing a BFA at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, majoring in Photography and Imaging, where he will also take Gender Studies.