Scholarships for 55 LGBTQA Students in WA State

As we embark on our 26^th year of investing in the next generation of leaders, we are excited to announce some exciting new initiatives. Over the years we have continued to fine tune our priorities and are committed to making lasting, meaningful investments in our scholars. For the first time in our history, we have committed to funding our scholars for up to 4-years of their undergraduate program. We believe supporting our students from year to year will allow them to better focus on their studies without the added pressure and stress of paying for their education. For many students, especially for those who come from marginalized communities, the high costs of higher education is overwhelming.

In addition to investing in our scholars beyond the dollar, we will hold our first one-day leadership workshop. This will be the first time we have formally provided a space for our scholars to meet and work together. The workshop, led by a scholarship supporter and professional facilitator, will be based in design thinking. The program aims to more strongly connecting our scholars with one another, enhance their leadership skills, and engage them collaboratively in addressing social and political challenges in which they have shared interests.

The objectives of the program are to:

1. Productively connect each year’s group of scholars, fostering new levels of peer support and forming lifelong “tribes.”
2. Encourage scholars to discover and collaboratively address shared interests in social and political issues.
3. Provide leadership training and support that is immediately applicable to the scholar’s needs and develops their competencies and confidence for personal and career achievement.

The workshop facilitator said, “GSBA is already doing much in terms of selecting each year’s scholars and providing them with enabling financial support. It is believed that this new leadership initiative will build on this investment, taking the value of the GSBA program to a whole new and exciting level for the scholars and our communities.”