PABA Announces LGBTQ Scholarship Recipients.
PABA to “Tip their Hats” to LGBTQ Students at Recognition Brunch.
For more information, contact:
Michael Traylor at MichaelTraylor@aol.com or 971-275-3283
Portland, OR – Governor Barbara Roberts will keynote a celebratory brunch on Saturday, August 20, from 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. when the Portland Area Business Association (PABA) will formally introduce their 2011 scholarship recipients. At the brunch, which will be held at Ecotrust (721 NW 9th Avenue), PABA will welcome their five recipients of its 2011 LGBTQ scholarships for the coming school year. This year’s recipients are: Oscar Arana, Katherine Buonocore, Ben-Lee Feliciano, Rachel Jackson, and Rej Joo of Portland. Brief bios are below.
The theme of the brunch – “A Tip of the Hat” – represents a collective tip of the hat to not only the scholarship recipients but also to the event sponsors, special guests, and contributors to the scholarship fund. Tickets can be purchased online at www.paba.com/pababrunch.
PABA selected the winners based on their academic achievement; involvement with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community; demonstrated financial need; and potential to excel in their chosen programs. Including this year’s scholarship awards, PABA has given out 24 scholarships in seven years totaling $27,500.
All five recipients self-identify as LGBTQ or are the children of LGBTQ individuals and are committed to supporting the LGBT community.
Sponsors of the scholarship brunch are:
• Platinum Level: Elk Cove Vineyards
• Gold Level: Morel Ink and Dr. Patricia DeMasi, Healthy Smiles Dental Group
• Silver Level: H. Dwayne Davis, Principal Broker, Realty Trust Group; Celia Lyon, Principal Broker, Meadows Group, Inc. Realtors; Parkrose Veterinary Clinic and Mobile Pet Clinic; Rainbow Accounting; Beth Allen Law; McDonald Jacobs – Accountants and Consultants; Don Valerio, MD and Fanno Creek Clinic; and Pride Financial Partners
PABA strives to promote business and offers support to its membership, which is made up of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered individuals and their allies in business. The PABA Scholarship Fund was established in 2005 to award scholarships to students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), or are children of LGBT parents. Award applicants must reside in Oregon or in Clark County, Washington and need financial assistance to achieve their post-secondary educational goals.
PABA partners with Equity Foundation, which solicits applications and administers these awards. Founded in 1989, Equity Foundation works to promote philanthropy and positive interaction through grants and outreach to organizations targeting service to people who are LGBTQ and other organizations that support equal opportunity for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
More about Scholarship Recipients
Oscar Arana is enrolled at the University of Oregon in their Executive MBA Program. Prior, Arana received a BA in Journalism from the University of Oregon. Katie Buonocore studies at Willamette University in Salem where she is pursuing a sociology degree while minoring in Japanese studies. Buonocore is a 2010 graduate of Beaverton High School. Rachel Jackson is completing her science prerequisites at Portland State University and plans to subsequently apply to medical school. Jackson has her AA and BA from The Art Institute of Portland and The Evergreen State College. Ben-Lee Feliciano is enrolled in a cosmetology program at the Aveda Institute Portland. Feliciano graduated from Kamehameha Secondary Schools in Honolulu. Rej Joo received his BA in psychology from Wagner College on Staten Island and, this fall, will begin pursuing an MPH along a sexuality and health track at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.
