The President’s Commission on Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation (GIESO) has named Alisa Volz as this year’s recipient of the LGBTQIA2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual or Ally, and Two-Spirit) Student Scholarship. This is the inaugural year for the scholarship, which the president’s office finances. The scholarship seeks to award students who show advocacy and community service for the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
As a junior majoring in Multimedia Journalism, Volz won the scholarship based on her LGBTQIA2S+ involvement, community service, and advocacy. She has volunteered with GIESORC (Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center) and worked on decorations for the Queer Prom, as well as participating in club elections. Volz uses experiences she has had that left her feeling shunned to connect with other minority groups and people who are oppressed. She feels a “deep-rooted compassion” for people without housing and has volunteered at the Second Harvest Food Bank in Spokane.
Volz noted in her application for the scholarship that she realizes “I can have a huge influence on how people feel about the LBGTQ+ community. I now know that I have a duty to make a change in the world through activism, and I will never allow myself to be torn down.”
The selection committee noted Volz’s involvement with GIESORC and advocacy for the queer community as two of their reasons for selecting her.
