UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The LGBTQA Student Resource Center, a unit of Penn State Student Affairs, is known for its support to all students and staff with the opportunities and resources it provides. What some may not know about is the financial support the center also offers through its scholarships to students who are interested and have shown a commitment to the Penn State LGBTQ+ community.
The center currently offers eight scholarships, with each having specific requirements for eligibility, including financial status, academic standing, and current and future involvement in the LGBTQ+ community on Penn State campuses and beyond.
John Gilbert, a former scholarship recipient, graduated from Penn State in 2017 with a degree in marketing and a minor in sexuality and gender studies and received the then-named LGBTA Alumni Interest Group Award in 2016. Gilbert said the award was meant to recognize and honor strong contributors to the LGBTQ community, achieved by an undergraduate or graduate student.
While at Penn State, Gilbert was actively involved with the Student Resource Center. Co-founding OUT and Allies in Business, leading the LGBTQA Student Roundtable, and serving on the Commission on LGBTQ Equity, along with the search committees for the program coordinator and the director of the center are just a few of Gilbert's accomplishments.
Currently, Gilbert works at EAB, a best-practice research firm in Washington D.C., where he is the vice chair of Allyship for OUT@EAB, which is the firm's LGBTQ employee resource group. In his role, Gilbert coordinates events with other employee resource groups and helps promote a culture of diversity and inclusion.
Students applying for one of the scholarships will be asked for a reference letter (one to two pages) and a resume, along with providing academic information. The scholarship application is due at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 14, and chosen applicants will be notified on Jan. 31, 2019.
A list of the scholarships can be found at the LGBTQA Student Resource Center’s website, along with the qualifications.