Hear directly from Point Scholars and Alumni.
Many trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people often have to weigh the risks that can be associated with using gendered restrooms and taking care of our basic needs if there are no gender neutral alternatives nearby. We must decide if we feel comfortable enough to even choose one gendered option or another, and evaluate if […]
On November 5, 2019, state and local elections were held in communities across the United States, including in 63 of our 100 largest cities. That means that millions of other Americans got up, got in line, got their sticker, and got on with their day, just like I did — a ritual as strange as […]
Rosie from Virginia asked: “What social activities can I host in my community to combat homophobia?” HSBC Point Scholar Lucas Dickerson responded: To battle homophobia, it’s best to start small and with love. In my case, having an area full of homophobia has a dire lack of community for those who may feel […]
In January 2004 my grandparents took me to Havana, Cuba to meet my family there for the first time. A month later, the Bush Administration revoked family visitation rights, leading to an eight-year separation from the aunts, uncles, and cousins I had only known in stories and pictures until that visit. At age 13, I […]
Teaching: Avoiding Bias. Your Classroom: Optional Equity Training. Diversity Matters. And those are training titles to be truly grateful for — it is often the best it gets at this time of year. It’s the beginning of the semester at colleges and universities across the country, which also means a whole new class of teaching […]
The University of Southern California, my very-soon-to-be alma matter, is surrounded by four walls. That line could be taken as a cute expression to represent the usual college-student campus isolation, but I am being quite literal when I say the university park campus is surrounded by four, heavily-guarded fences. Though they have been here for […]
International Transgender Day of Visibility is important for so many reasons. Imagine living in a world where 90% of the population doesn’t really believe you are real, that you are characters horrifically portrayed in films, or caricatures paraded on television screens across the globe like circus freaks for the amusement of an insensitive and oftentimes […]
Throughout middle and high school, I was an enthusiastic participant of the National History Day program in Minnesota. For those who may not be familiar with the program, History Day is a project-based learning program (à la Science Fair) where students get to choose a historical topic to investigate. After conducting extensive research, students […]
Being a Point Scholar means that I have the opportunity to create a Community Service Project each year. This year, I am building off work that I did last year and creating a program that will offer free HIV tests to all students at Grinnell College. I think when we hear about people or organizations […]
Everyone loves a story with a happy ending. One of the most heart-warming stories of recent months is that of high school senior Seth Owen. Accepted into Georgetown University – but estranged from his parents because he is gay – Seth was unsure if he could attend college. His biology teacher set up a GoFundMe […]
