Point Foundation Announces 2011 Scholar Class

Celebrating 10 Years, National Organization Awards 34 New Scholarships

LOS ANGELES, June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Point Foundation (Point) the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students of merit, today announced its 2011 Scholar Class.

After an extensive six-month selection process, Point has selected this year's undergraduate and graduate Point Scholarship recipients. Consisting of students with exemplary academic records and leadership in their community, 34 scholars were chosen from nearly 2,000 applicants. Additionally, each of the 10 finalists not selected as Point Scholars will receive a $500 honorarium to recognize their accomplishments.

Awarding just eight scholarships Point's first year, the organization is celebrating its 10-year anniversary having helped more than 160 individual scholars with over $5.3 million in direct financial support for their college education.  

"We founded Point in 2001 with the goal of providing both financial support and mentorship to the best and the brightest LGBT scholars," states co-founder Bruce Lindstrom who began the organization with his longtime partner Carl Strickland.  "We had no staff when we started, but we had a wonderful group of individuals willing to volunteer their time, as well as entrepreneurial donors who shared a dream of a national scholarship organization. Today, Point consists of a full staff and nearly 300 volunteers, all working passionately to support the LGBT leaders of tomorrow."

Point provides financial support, leadership training, mentoring and hope to LGBT individuals who are marginalized because of their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression. In June 2011, a total of 71 Point Scholars will be supported in their respective colleges or universities and 124 Point Alumni will continue to pursue their life goals.

Point partners with a number of individuals and corporations in providing named scholarship awards, which are created to honor an individual or corporation. Named scholarship donors pledge a major gift of $100,000, or $25,000 per year for four years, to cover the costs associated with becoming a Point Scholar.

New named scholarships in the 2011-12 year include Darden Restaurants, Erickson-Zoellers, George Benes M.D. and Michael Mallee EdD, Joan R. Heller, Johnson & Johnson, Toyota Financial Services, Vorobek and The Tyler Clementi Point Scholarship.

Current named scholarships created to honor an individual or corporation include: Allan Gilmour & Eric Jirgens, Bob Fennell, Bryan L. Knapp, Calamus Foundation, HBO, Jan Aronson, Kevin Hummer, Lawrence King/Jeffrey Fashion Cares, Minton-Spidell, Paul W. Speier, Point Honors LA, Point Honors NY, Phyllis Mandler & Gary Elden, Rand Skolnick, Time Warner, University of Phoenix, Walter M. Decker and Wells Fargo.  

"We are extremely proud to welcome this year's scholarship class and forever grateful for the help of our supporters and donors that make Point possible," said Point's Executive Director & CEO Jorge Valencia. "It is our hope that with a higher education, developed leadership skills and mentorship, these scholars will go on to make positive changes in their community."

Introducing the incoming class of 2011 Point Scholars (Named scholarships noted with an asterisk):

Mounia Abousaid, Rabat, Morocco pursuing a BA in Philosophy, Columbia University

*Isaiah Baiseri, Glendora, CA pursuing a BA in Design Media Arts, University of California, Los Angeles (Wells Fargo Point Scholarship)

Jeremy Bearer-Friend, Providence, RI pursuing a JD, Stanford Law School

Adrian Capello, Baton Rouge, LA pursuing a BS in Neuroscience, Centenary College of Louisiana

Taylor Clark, Lowell, MA pursuing a BA in Political Science and Women & Gender Studies, Columbia University

*Tommy Craven, Jasper, IN pursuing a BA in Business, New York University (Toyota Financial Services Point Scholarship)

Kian Goh, Penang, Malaysia pursuing a PhD in Urban Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

*Ethan Hansen, Idaho Falls, ID pursuing a BA in Psychology, The University of Utah (Vorobek Point Scholarship)

*Chris Hanson, Longwood, FL pursuing a JD, Northwestern University Law School (Wells Fargo Point Scholarship)

Naomi Jackson, Brooklyn, NY pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing, University of Iowa

Kailin Kauffman-Jewell, Madison, WI pursuing a BA in Political Science/Government, University of Wisconsin, Madison

*Maggie Keenan-Bolger, New York, NY pursuing an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts, Goddard College (Allan Gilmour & Eric Jirgens Point Scholarship)

Rickke Mananzala, Brooklyn, NY pursuing a BA in Urban Studies, Columbia University School of General Studies

Brandon Lee Markowitz, Taunton, MA pursuing a BA/BFA from Eugene Lang College and Parsons The New School of Design

*Sarah Marshall, Winston-Salem, NC pursuing an MPH, Johns Hopkins University (Darden Restaurants Point Scholarship)

Nicolas Martinez, Corpus Christi, TX pursuing an MA in Public Affairs/Administration, The University of Texas at Austin

Kathleen McGinn, Howell, NJ pursuing a JD, Boston University School of Law

*Emily McWilliams, Prairie du Chien, WI pursuing a JD, Northwestern University Law School (Kevin Hummer Point Scholarship)

*Derrick Miller-Handley, Berkeley, CA pursuing a BA in Graphic Design, Pratt Institute (Tyler Clementi Point Scholarship)

*Abbey Muzatko, Green Bay, WI pursuing a BA in Fine Arts, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Joan R. Heller Point Scholarship)

Eric Nakano, San Dimas, CA pursuing an MA in Public Policy, Duke Stanford School of Public Policy

Jason Nichols, Glenn Dale, MD pursuing an MBA, New York University Stern School of Business

*Daniel O'Neill, Bloomington, IN pursuing an MD/MPH, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences (George Benes M.D. and Michael Mallee EdD Point Scholarship)

*Brennan Peters, Blytheville, AR pursuing a BA in Psychology, Loyola University New Orleans (Point Honors New York Point Scholarship)

Siddarth Puri, Los Angeles, CA pursuing an MD, University of California, Davis School of Medicine

Timothy Pyles, Houston, TX pursuing a BA in Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston

*Jordan Simonson, Abbotsford, WI pursuing a PhD in Psychology, Seattle Pacific University (University of Phoenix Point Scholarship)

*Rachael Smith, Berwick, ME pursuing a BA in Sociology and Gender Studies, Mount Holyoke College (HBO Point Scholarship)

*Carl Streed, Jr., Zion, IL pursuing an MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Erickson-Zoellers Point Scholarship)

Erika Turner, Las Vegas, NV pursuing a BA in East Asian Studies, Wellesley College

Kyle Vey, Raleigh, NC pursuing a BA in Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University

Emma Qing Wang, Amherst, MA pursuing a BA in Social Sciences, Harvard College

*Kip Williams, Knoxville, TN pursuing an MA in Counseling Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies (Point Honors Los Angeles Point Scholarship)

Sarah Young, McGraw, NY pursuing a PhD in Social Work/Social Services, The University of Alabama

Visit www.pointfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/pointfoundation for additional information on Point Foundation.

About Point Foundation
Point Foundation (Point) is the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students of merit. Point provides financial support, leadership training, mentoring and hope to LGBT individuals who are marginalized because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Point provides its scholars with the financial ability to attend the nation's foremost higher educational institutions and its donors and mentors with the rare satisfaction of directly investing their resources and time in future generations of leaders.  Since its inception, Point has helped over 160 individual scholars with over $5.3 million in direct financial support for their college education.

Point Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) organization.

SOURCE Point Foundation