Five area students received $11,000 in scholarships on August 23rd from the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association. This year's awardees will be attending Columbia College Chicago, Northern Illinois University, Boston College and Dominican University. OPALGA awards student scholarships for the continuing education of LGBTQ students, or the children of LGBTQ parents, or allies of the LGBTQ community. We look for students who have shown service, activism, and an understanding of the LGBTQ community. One of the awardees attending Columbia College wrote of wanting to "use my experiences and talents to help other people struggling with their sexuality." He wants to use his art ( animation ) "to create characters that people of all ages, especially gay youth, can relate to and see healthy representations of LGBTQ characters."
Over the past five years, over $40,000 has been awarded to 20 Oak Park area high school seniors as well as to college students at Triton, Columbia, UIC and Dominican University.
On Saturday, October 13th, OPALGA will host its Annual Gala at the Nineteenth Century Club in Oak Park to raise funds for next year's scholarship awards. Tickets maybe be purchased and donations are accepted at www.opalga.org
About OPALGA
The Oak Park Area Gay and Lesbian Association ( OPALGA ) was founded in 1989 in order to encourage institutional change and in order to promote the community life of both LGBTQ neighbors and non-LGBTQ friends and allies in the Oak Park area.
From a press release
