Clarkstown Grad Wins Point Foundation Scholarship

WEST NYACK, NY — Valerie Weisler saw someone being bullied when she was a freshman at Clarkstown South High School. The ripple effect from her response led to The Validation Project, a nonprofit working with teenagers around the world to address social justice issues.

Weisler has been recognized with the National Jefferson Award for Peace and Justice and the Princess Diana Award from former Prime Minister, David Cameron. She also serves as a Human Rights Campaign Ambassador. Her self- designed entrepreneurial curriculum has replaced government-led anti-bullying courses in nearly 1,000 schools across the globe.

Now Weisler, who attends Muhlenberg College, has won a Point Foundation college scholarship.

The Point Foundation is a prominent scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students.

This year's crop of 52 scholarship recipients is the largest and most diverse group in the organization’s history, officials there said. From more than 2,000 applicants, 27 LGBTQ students were chosen to be Point Scholars. Point is also welcoming 25 LGBTQ students to its expanded Community College Scholarship Program, thanks to continued support from Wells Fargo.

This year’s scholarship recipients include veterans of the armed forces, award-winning artists, international LGBTQ rights activists, creators of nonprofit organizations, and young scientists. In addition to their accomplishments, many of the new scholarship recipients have overcome barriers to their success that are all too common in the LGBTQ community, including family rejection and abuse, homelessness, discrimination, and challenges to their immigration status.

A complete list of scholarship recipients can be found below; bios for each are available on Point’s website, www.pointfoundation.org.

“Given the volatile political climate and its implications for trans rights, immigrant rights, gender issues, and civil liberties, it is essential that we continue to invest in the next generation of LGBTQ leaders,” said Jorge Valencia, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Point Foundation. “By helping them to access the higher education they need to succeed, we can assure promising LGBTQ students are poised to become the change makers we so desperately need.”

For 2017–18, there will be 98 LGBTQ students receiving financial assistance and programmatic support from Point as they pursue their associate, bachelor’s, or graduate degrees. After graduating, students become part of Point’s growing network, connecting them with hundreds of caring individuals and professional contacts throughout the nation.

Notable facts about the 2017 Point Scholar class:

• Two-thirds identify as a racial or ethnic group other than white.
• Nearly half identify as transgender, gender-nonconforming, or intersex.
• More than a third are first in their families to go to college.
• Eight scholars were formerly homeless.

Notable facts about the 2017 Community College Scholarship recipients:

• 60% are the first in their families to go to college
• Nearly half identify as transgender, gender-nonconforming, or intersex.
• One-third identify as bisexual, polysexual or queer.
• Enrolled in schools in 22 cities across the U.S.

Individuals, corporations, and organizations can support Point’s mission by designating a scholarship with a name — recognizing the donor, or an individual or institution the donor wishes to honor.

Named Scholarship donors pledge to cover the financial assistance and programmatic support Point provides its scholars.

Named Scholarships generously being supported are: Barbey; Calamus Foundation; Douglas Wurth; George Benes, MD & Michael Mallee, EdD; HBO; HSBC; Janssen Infectious Diseases; Kevin Hummer; KPMG; Minton-Spidell- Jackowski; NBCUniversal; Northern Trust; Novo Nordisk; Point Honors Los Angeles; Point Honors New York; Rand Skolnick; Rim-Freeman; Arnold Schwab; Took Trust; Toyota Financial Services; Viiv; Walter M. Decker; Wells Fargo; William J. Levy.