Meet The LGBTQIA+ Changemakers Sharing In $17,500 In PBA Education Fund Scholarships

Better mental health care for young people, more queer voices in boardrooms, and affirming sexual health support closer to home: this year’s Pride Business Association (NSW) scholarship recipients have plenty on their to-do lists.

Jess Wilcox, Cassandra Armstrong and Dean Millett will share $17,500 through the 2026 PBA Education Fund, supporting further study that each intends to put to work for our community.

The Fund supports LGBTQIA+ adults aged 30 and over across NSW to pursue education, training and professional development. Because there’s no expiry date on wanting to learn, and queer people deserve the chance to have another crack when life has made the first one bloody difficult.

“For many LGBTQIA+ people, education has been interrupted by discrimination, financial pressure or a lack of support,” said PBA President Jarrod Lomas.

“We want people to have the opportunity to return to study or take the next step in their careers, whatever path brought them here.”

The three 2026 scholarship recipients of the Pride Business Association Education Fund

Jess Wilcox: Making lived experience count

Jess Wilcox (she/they) receives the $10,000 Michael Glynn Scholarship, supporting a study path focused on youth mental health and suicide prevention.

A lived and living experience consultant and advocate, Jess works across mental health, disability inclusion and LGBTQIA+ communities. They are studying a Bachelor of Psychological Science at the University of Newcastle, with plans for postgraduate study in social work.

Their work spans advocacy, research and service design, and their ambition is to ensure people with lived and living experience help shape the systems intended to support them.

It’s an approach our community has good reason to get behind. When decisions concern your life, your care and your future, you should get a say.

Cassandra Armstrong: Taking inclusion into the boardroom

Cassandra Armstrong (they/them) receives the $5,000 Rise Scholarship to undertake the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Company Directors Course.

The queer, non-binary leader is Deputy CEO of ADHD Australia, founder of Trans and Gender Diverse Kids Australia, and a board member of Guthrie House. Yes, that’s already quite a workload.

The course will build their skills in governance, financial oversight and strategic leadership, supporting their ambition to strengthen LGBTQIA+ inclusion on boards.

Boardroom decisions can seem a long way from everyday queer life, until you consider who decides an organisation’s priorities, where its money goes, and whose needs get heard. Cassandra wants diverse lived experiences represented in those decisions.

Dean Millett: Bringing affirming care closer to home

Dean Millett (he/him) receives the $2,500 MCC Welfare Services Scholarship and plans to undertake postgraduate study in sexology at Curtin University.

An Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Dean brings more than 20 years of healthcare experience, including work as a registered nurse.

He wants to expand access to specialist, affirming sexual and relationship wellbeing services for LGBTQIA+ people in rural communities, helping people find support close to home while strengthening mental wellbeing and community connection.

Queer people deserve care that understands and respects us, wherever we live. Dean’s next chapter is aimed squarely at making that easier to access.

“Jess, Cassandra and Dean are already making a contribution to our community,” Lomas said.

“These scholarships will help them build the skills to take that work further and reach more people.”

The scholarships are funded through community fundraising, donors and partners.