Meet Our Scholars

Tony grew up in the tight-knit community of Mission Viejo in Southern California. Though raised with a conservative Lutheran upbringing, he found he was blessed with a truly supportive community when he came out to both his family and wrestling team in the summer before his freshman year of high school. He founded his high school's Gay-Straight Alliance and began working on the regional level to promote school safety, both in the classrooms and locker rooms. Cultivating his love of languages and education with a semester study in France and night courses at local community college, he graduated as the valedictorian of his senior class. Tony served as the Secretary on the Board of Directors for the Gay-Straight Alliance Network and was a senior member of his community Youth Council for GSA's in Southern California. He was graduated from Harvard College in 2011. He hopes to later attend law or medical school and wishes to pursue a career in public service.