Meet Our Scholars

When Max Staebler came out to friends and family, he was embraced and encouraged by everyone except his father, who has taken himself out of Max’'s life. Max decided to help others and became involved with The Trevor Project. He also started the first Gay-Straight Alliance in his hometown of Bradenton, Florida, and wrote and presented workshops focused on bullying and LGBTQ suicide. The GSA he started is a focal point of his high school's LGBTQ community; it is a safe place to find strength and support from the school community. Max’s work with the Trevor Project's Youth Advisory Council has made it possible for him to become involved in advocacy through workshops, community events and a leadership position in the LGBTQ community of Bradenton, and elsewhere. Max attends Duke University, pursuing a double major in biomedical engineering and chemistry.