Meet Our Scholars

Jacob Rudolph made international headlines in 2013 when a video of him coming out in front of more than 300 of his classmates went viral with over 2,000,000 views on YouTube. Soon after, Jacob was featured on national TV interviews with Anderson Cooper, Thomas Roberts on MSNBC, Don Lemon on CNN, and with Joy Behar, as well as in the LA Times and other print media. Inspired to continue speaking up, Jacob successfully assisted local civil rights groups that same year in passing a state law that bans conversion therapy on LGBTQ+ youth in New Jersey. Since then, he has been selected for the Point Foundation Scholarship, the John Lewis Fellowship, and was selected as the student commencement speaker at his college graduation-- University of Miami, 2017. He currently serves as Executive Director of The Pride Network (501c3), working to provide opportunities to emerging LGBTQ+ leaders to help them create change within themselves and in their communities. In 2020, Jacob was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30: Law & Policy list. Jacob is a loving friend, yogi, and a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ empowerment as the foundation of a compassionate American society.