Pinnacle Foundation offers scholarships for LGBTI students in 2019

The Pinnacle Foundation is currently offering LGBTI students the opportunity to apply for a scholarship in 2019.

The scholarships are open LGBTI students aged 17 – 26 who wish to undertake full-time education at a public or private secondary school (final year) or public institution of higher education in Australia.

News reporter Ben Nielsen is a former recipient of the Pinnacle scholarship, and said he wouldn’t be where he is now without it.

“I grew up in a small country town south of Adelaide. I was a quiet, bookish kid who studied music. I wasn’t necessarily an outcast, but I was definitely different from my brothers and the other kids in the community, which was consumed by sport, agriculture and mining,” he said.

“My environment – particularly at primary school – shaped my understanding of masculinity. Sensitive boys were bullied as it was thought they should be rough-and-tumble types.

“Ironically I was bullied by the only openly gay boy at high school. He pressured me to come out and to act in a certain way – which he thought was the “right” way to be gay.”

Nielsen added that after moving to Sydney, he immersed himself in the queer community, with Pinnacle providing an entry point.

“Over three years, the foundation provided me with financial assistance to complete my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees,” he said.

“The Pinnacle Foundation has played an important role in my personal growth and professional development.”

Pinnacle scholarships are renewed on a multi-year basis, granted the scholar satisfies certain conditions such as excellent attendance record, strong academic performance, and a positive mentor review.

Applications for Pinnacle’s 2019 scholarships close on October 1, 2018. For more information and to apply, visit: thepinnaclefoundation.org.