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“Applying to a scholarship that advances diversity gave me a wonderful opportunity to reflect on my high school experience and ask myself, ‘How have I positively influenced my community so far? And how do I see myself continuing or improving my efforts in college?’”
Aadya Gupta, 2025 Recipient, Joseph Michael Kulka Jr. Scholarship
The support of donors to the LGBT Fund enables the Fund’s board of advisers to administer two scholarship programs annually: the Joseph M. Kulka Award and the Mary E. Kwiatkowski Social Services Scholarship Fund.
The Kulka award is designated for a graduating senior of any Erie County high school pursuing a four-year college program. The award supports a student who demonstrates a strong commitment to increasing awareness and understanding of the value of diversity in the Erie region.
The Kwiatkowski scholarship is awarded to a female and/or LGBTQIA+ student planning to major or minor in social sciences and ultimately pursue a career in public services.
To apply for either of these scholarships, [LINKS TO APPLICATION?]
EFFORTS SUPPORTED BY THE FUND
- A support group for LGBTQ+ students at PennWest Edinboro with the Erie branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
- Counseling services for LGBTQ+ students in collaboration with Erie’s Crime Victim Center
- An LGBTQ+ Youth Summit organized by the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality (GEAE).
- A study to understand the housing needs of at-risk and homeless youth in Erie County conducted by Housing and Neighborhood Development Services (HANDS) of Erie
- Funding through GEAE of an LGBTQ+ youth program centered on art expression and future-finding, delivered by the local mental health service, Journey to a Trauma-Informed Life.
- Funding of True North, a four-week program educating local LGBTQ+ youth and young adults about budgeting, finding housing, self-care and self-advocacy, and career and social skills development.
- Scholarships to students who demonstrate a commitment to raising awareness of the value of diversity in its many forms.
The LGBT Fund is the only organization of its kind in the Erie region focused solely on actions that meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. Collectively, the gifts of donors committed to supporting the Fund are making an impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ people—and building the Fund’s resources will allow that impact to grow.
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