PERSONS OF INTEREST: POINT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS - For gay students, award means more than money
PERSONS OF INTEREST: POINT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS - For gay students, award means more than money
By Bonnie Miller Rubin
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Published June 10, 2007
When these four students were growing up, they probably never envisioned the world changing so profoundly that a gay and lesbian community center covering more space than three football fields would open on Halsted Street, as it did last week. Or the Gay Games taking place not in San Francisco or Key West, but in their Midwestern hometown. Given that many of them have endured years of harassment, they certainly never imagined qualifying for a college scholarship based not just on their academic achievements but their sexual orientation. But the world has changed. The Point Foundation, a non-profit group, recently bestowed 38 such awards, averaging $13,600 each, to some of America's best and brightest. The 2007 recipients were plucked from about 850 applicants, making this year's class not only the largest in the organization's six-year history, but also the most diverse. It includes the first Muslim scholar and male-to-female transgendered scholar. The organization started with $150,000 and now has a $2.9 million budget, counting such companies as Time Warner Inc. and Citigroup as donors.
"The scholarship gives me comfort in knowing that no matter what happens with my relationship with my parents or my financial situation, my ability to attend college is secured," said Derrick Clifton, a Chicagoan who comes from a long line of Baptist ministers. "But it means much more than money ... It's about having the support of people who are not only accepting of me, but want to see me shine."
Here's a snapshot of local winners:
Ali Abbas
Age: 19
High school: Glenbard North
College: DePaul University
CAREER GOAL: Professor of philosophy
I KNEW I WAS GAY WHEN: I assume I became attracted to men around the same time other boys realize they're attracted to women.
HOW I CAME OUT TO MY FAMILY: I attempted to come out to my mother first in a philosophical discussion about gender. ... She became uncomfortable and ... she inspired my month-long journey into helping my parents realize their son is gay and acknowledge that his sexuality does not make him a poor son. ... Even though they may never realize it, they best prepared me to encounter a world that can at times be intolerant, hateful and oppressive.
HIGH SCHOOL WAS: A definite battleground ... and very segregated. ... The science hallway was Little India, the math hallway was Little Asia. ... The system was ... a microscopic example of the state of our world.
THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE: Being back home in Lebanon ... I can at least feel as though I belong ... as an Arab and someone who grew up with Islam.
WHAT THIS SCHOLARSHIP MEANS: A new era of change. It also means that I am receiving a gift from a community that is usually denied anything to give.
Derrick Clifton
Age: 18
High school: Walter Payton College Prep
College: Pomona College
CAREER GOAL: An attorney or working in ... the civil rights sector
I KNEW I WAS GAY WHEN: I was 6. ... It became a much more visible part of me during middle school.
HOW I CAME OUT TO MY FAMILY: I was fed up with the ignorance I observed in my family ... and decided to sit my father, a Baptist minister, down and explained ... I am gay. Though my parents sometimes struggle ... the outcome was much better than I expected; they still support me, but they would prefer that I "be quiet" about it.
THE WORST TIME OF MY LIFE: My sophomore year. ... I was depressed because of ... the deterioration of my parents' marriage ... and the very overarching fear of a negative response when I came out to my family. ... I felt so isolated and conflicted between what I heard about the "Bible's stance on homosexuality" and what I knew to be my personal truth.
WHAT GOT ME THROUGH: I wanted so badly to prove ... that the fact that I am gay doesn't mean I am not the same son, friend or achiever. I had long talks with one of my teachers [at Payton]. Had it not been for her help, I probably would've spiraled even further downward.
WHAT I WOULD TELL KIDS STRUGGLING WITH THEIR SEXUALITY: Never let the negativity, bias and prejudice of others ... get in the way of your personal growth.
Lilia Espinoza
Age: 18
High school: Whitney Young
College: Columbia University
CAREER GOAL: To help people better their lives
I KNEW I WAS GAY: In 8th grade when I found I had an undeniable crush on another girl.
HOW I CAME OUT TO MY FAMILY: Even though I knew my parents would support me, I found it hard to work up the nerve to tell them right out. My mom ended up saying "Can I ask you a question?" and I answered, "Am I gay? Yes."
HOW I CAME OUT TO FRIENDS: I didn't have one specific guideline. ... To some I said "I have something to tell you." And others I just casually mentioned my girlfriend, hoping they'd catch on.
THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE: I loved going to the Broadway Youth Center's Gay Prom last year. ... It was fantastic to see a bunch of queer youth and allies just dancing and having a great time.
WHAT GOT ME THROUGH: I had not only the support of my friends and most of my family, but I also had the Chicago Children's Choir. I always had a place to turn should things get rough.
I WOULD TELL KIDS STRUGGLING WITH THEIR SEXUALITY: Don't let the adversity make you feel like less of a person. ... There are people out there who are like you, know what you're going through and want to help you.
Andrew Park
Age: 28
High school: Glenbrook North
College: Harvard University
Current institution: Yale Law School
CAREER GOAL: Something spanning policy, law, media and even the creative arts
I KNEW I WAS GAY WHEN: I always knew I was different. ... It was always clear that whatever internal stirrings I had ... I should keep them hidden.
HOW I CAME OUT: There isn't any one model. ... There are some who start from the inside-out ... those closest to them first ... and then outward to friends and acquaintances. Some, however, work in the opposite direction. ... I adopted the latter model. ... Judgment can be brushed aside from people in whom you have little investment. But to face the idea of becoming estranged from parents and siblings ... is often too frightening to bear.
THE WORST TIME OF MY LIFE: The day my family found out that my father had liver cancer. ... I watched my reality crumble around me. ... At the same time, I started the most painful early phases of my coming out experience. It was a gut-wrenching exercise.
WHAT GOT ME THROUGH: Some kind of deeply rooted faith that, in the end, there was nothing wrong with me and that it would somehow work out. ... I also was fortunate to have wonderful friends. I don't know what I would have done without them.
WHAT THIS SCHOLARSHIP MEANS: First, it reminds me of how far LGBT people have come. ... Second, it reflects a final decision to put myself "out there."
By Bonnie Miller Rubin
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Published June 10, 2007
When these four students were growing up, they probably never envisioned the world changing so profoundly that a gay and lesbian community center covering more space than three football fields would open on Halsted Street, as it did last week. Or the Gay Games taking place not in San Francisco or Key West, but in their Midwestern hometown. Given that many of them have endured years of harassment, they certainly never imagined qualifying for a college scholarship based not just on their academic achievements but their sexual orientation. But the world has changed. The Point Foundation, a non-profit group, recently bestowed 38 such awards, averaging $13,600 each, to some of America's best and brightest. The 2007 recipients were plucked from about 850 applicants, making this year's class not only the largest in the organization's six-year history, but also the most diverse. It includes the first Muslim scholar and male-to-female transgendered scholar. The organization started with $150,000 and now has a $2.9 million budget, counting such companies as Time Warner Inc. and Citigroup as donors.
"The scholarship gives me comfort in knowing that no matter what happens with my relationship with my parents or my financial situation, my ability to attend college is secured," said Derrick Clifton, a Chicagoan who comes from a long line of Baptist ministers. "But it means much more than money ... It's about having the support of people who are not only accepting of me, but want to see me shine."
Here's a snapshot of local winners:
Ali Abbas
Age: 19
High school: Glenbard North
College: DePaul University
CAREER GOAL: Professor of philosophy
I KNEW I WAS GAY WHEN: I assume I became attracted to men around the same time other boys realize they're attracted to women.
HOW I CAME OUT TO MY FAMILY: I attempted to come out to my mother first in a philosophical discussion about gender. ... She became uncomfortable and ... she inspired my month-long journey into helping my parents realize their son is gay and acknowledge that his sexuality does not make him a poor son. ... Even though they may never realize it, they best prepared me to encounter a world that can at times be intolerant, hateful and oppressive.
HIGH SCHOOL WAS: A definite battleground ... and very segregated. ... The science hallway was Little India, the math hallway was Little Asia. ... The system was ... a microscopic example of the state of our world.
THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE: Being back home in Lebanon ... I can at least feel as though I belong ... as an Arab and someone who grew up with Islam.
WHAT THIS SCHOLARSHIP MEANS: A new era of change. It also means that I am receiving a gift from a community that is usually denied anything to give.
Derrick Clifton
Age: 18
High school: Walter Payton College Prep
College: Pomona College
CAREER GOAL: An attorney or working in ... the civil rights sector
I KNEW I WAS GAY WHEN: I was 6. ... It became a much more visible part of me during middle school.
HOW I CAME OUT TO MY FAMILY: I was fed up with the ignorance I observed in my family ... and decided to sit my father, a Baptist minister, down and explained ... I am gay. Though my parents sometimes struggle ... the outcome was much better than I expected; they still support me, but they would prefer that I "be quiet" about it.
THE WORST TIME OF MY LIFE: My sophomore year. ... I was depressed because of ... the deterioration of my parents' marriage ... and the very overarching fear of a negative response when I came out to my family. ... I felt so isolated and conflicted between what I heard about the "Bible's stance on homosexuality" and what I knew to be my personal truth.
WHAT GOT ME THROUGH: I wanted so badly to prove ... that the fact that I am gay doesn't mean I am not the same son, friend or achiever. I had long talks with one of my teachers [at Payton]. Had it not been for her help, I probably would've spiraled even further downward.
WHAT I WOULD TELL KIDS STRUGGLING WITH THEIR SEXUALITY: Never let the negativity, bias and prejudice of others ... get in the way of your personal growth.
Lilia Espinoza
Age: 18
High school: Whitney Young
College: Columbia University
CAREER GOAL: To help people better their lives
I KNEW I WAS GAY: In 8th grade when I found I had an undeniable crush on another girl.
HOW I CAME OUT TO MY FAMILY: Even though I knew my parents would support me, I found it hard to work up the nerve to tell them right out. My mom ended up saying "Can I ask you a question?" and I answered, "Am I gay? Yes."
HOW I CAME OUT TO FRIENDS: I didn't have one specific guideline. ... To some I said "I have something to tell you." And others I just casually mentioned my girlfriend, hoping they'd catch on.
THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE: I loved going to the Broadway Youth Center's Gay Prom last year. ... It was fantastic to see a bunch of queer youth and allies just dancing and having a great time.
WHAT GOT ME THROUGH: I had not only the support of my friends and most of my family, but I also had the Chicago Children's Choir. I always had a place to turn should things get rough.
I WOULD TELL KIDS STRUGGLING WITH THEIR SEXUALITY: Don't let the adversity make you feel like less of a person. ... There are people out there who are like you, know what you're going through and want to help you.
Andrew Park
Age: 28
High school: Glenbrook North
College: Harvard University
Current institution: Yale Law School
CAREER GOAL: Something spanning policy, law, media and even the creative arts
I KNEW I WAS GAY WHEN: I always knew I was different. ... It was always clear that whatever internal stirrings I had ... I should keep them hidden.
HOW I CAME OUT: There isn't any one model. ... There are some who start from the inside-out ... those closest to them first ... and then outward to friends and acquaintances. Some, however, work in the opposite direction. ... I adopted the latter model. ... Judgment can be brushed aside from people in whom you have little investment. But to face the idea of becoming estranged from parents and siblings ... is often too frightening to bear.
THE WORST TIME OF MY LIFE: The day my family found out that my father had liver cancer. ... I watched my reality crumble around me. ... At the same time, I started the most painful early phases of my coming out experience. It was a gut-wrenching exercise.
WHAT GOT ME THROUGH: Some kind of deeply rooted faith that, in the end, there was nothing wrong with me and that it would somehow work out. ... I also was fortunate to have wonderful friends. I don't know what I would have done without them.
WHAT THIS SCHOLARSHIP MEANS: First, it reminds me of how far LGBT people have come. ... Second, it reflects a final decision to put myself "out there."
posted by Carlos T Mock at 8:16 AM
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