ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Missouri Courage Scholarship (MCS) is proud to announce the recipients of 2019 scholarship awards. Each year, MCS awards scholarships to students who demonstrate courage and take a stand for social justice. MCS and our community partners – Pride St. Charles, GLSEN-Greater Kansas City, and Tower Grove Pride – are awarding $24,000 in scholarships to 24 outstanding high school seniors from across Missouri pursuing higher education this fall.
MCS was founded in 2015 and has awarded over $70,000 to more than 65 Missouri students in the four years since.
This year’s applicant pool was the most diverse to date. MCS had more than 130 applicants from 90 high schools in 34 different counties across Missouri. Twenty-eight percent of this year’s applicants and 38% of award recipients are students of color. Eighteen percent of our applicants and 42% of award recipients are transgender or non-binary.
“From playing fields and classrooms to marches and lobbying in Jefferson City, these students continue making a difference through their courage. The 2019 Courage Scholars are using their voices to educate, advocate, and speak out against injustice to create safer, more affirming schools and communities. Going to school shouldn’t require courage, but LGBTQ students from small towns to large cities face barriers to learning in the form of exclusion, harassment, and even violence," said MCS founder and co-chair Jacob Wilson. “These Courage Scholars are working to remove those barriers for the next generation of students by living their authentic life and speaking truth to power.”
MCS is thrilled to share the 2019 Courage Scholars:
Joey Borrelli, Trans Courage Award, Crossroads College Preparatory Academy, St. Louis
Carolina Fleming, Rural Courage Award, West Plains High School, Caulfield
Lee Francis, Missouri Courage Award, Oakville High School, St. Louis
Cory Gamblin, Rural Courage Founder’s Award, Salem High School, Salem (second year)
Shanna, Rural Courage Award, Fairfax R3 High School, Fairfax
Emily Hilderbrand, Missouri Courage Award, Oak Park High School, Kansas City
Scar Hitch, Rural Courage Award, Alton High School, Alton
Jasper Hong, Trans Courage Award, Mehlville High School, St. Louis
Sei, Trans Courage Award, Cape Central High School, Gape Girardeau
Miles, Trans Courage Award, Mehlville High School, St. Louis
Thresa Kelly, GLSEN-Kansas City Courage Award, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, Kansas City
Nick Maeda, Trans Courage Award, Marquette High School, Wildwood
Lupin Nelson, Trans Courage Award, Lebanon High School, Lebanon
Malaika, Tower Grove Pride Courage Award, Crossroads College Prep Academy, St. Louis
Requested Anonymity, Rural Courage Award, St. James High School, St. James
Chasteanne Salvosa, Pride St. Charles Courage Award, Wentzville Liberty High School, Lake St. Louis
Aubrey Schmit, Trans Courage Founder’s Award, Salem High School, Salem (second year)
Jake Stotler, Rural Courage Founder’s Award, Salem High School, Salem (first year)
Mackenzie Thompson, Missouri Courage Award, Parkway North High School, St. Louis
Requested Anonymity, Missouri Courage Award, Eureka High School, Wildwood
Tone Wilhite, Missouri Courage Award, Hazelwood West High School, Florissant
Sophia Wissinger, Tower Grove Pride Courage Award, Notre Dame High School, St. Louis
Molly Wooster, Missouri Courage Award, Lee’s Summit High School, Lee’s Summit, MO
MCS Awards Multiple Types of Scholarships:
The Missouri Courage Award (MCA) is awarded to high school seniors in Missouri who have demonstrated their commitment to work for change in their community that advances the lives of LGBTQ people or furthers other social justice causes.
The Rural Courage Award (RCA) is intended for students residing in rural Missouri communities who meet the MCA scholarship qualifications.
The Trans Courage Award (TCA) is intended for Missouri students who identify as transgender and who meet the MCA scholarship qualifications.
Founder’s Award is a two-year award given to winners from Dent County at the discretion of our Founder who started the organization to help LGBTQ students from that county.
Community Partnership Awards are scholarships awarded to students through partnership with community organizations. In 2019 MCS partnered with Pride St. Charles, GLSEN Greater Kansas City and Tower Grove Pride to award scholarships.
Missouri Courage Scholarship is the first, and largest, state-wide LGBTQ scholarship organization in Missouri. MCS is a 501c3 organization; all donations are tax deductible. Please visit our website at www.courage-scholarship.org for more information.