PBCHRC Charitable foundation

Lake Worth Beach resident Kyle Ahern graduated from the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Kyle was also Speech Captain of the Dreyfoos Speech and Debate team. In that capacity, he argued for legislative action to ban conversion therapy and advocating for greater resources for queer victims of intimate partner violence. In light of COVID-19, Kyle organized an online speech tournament that will donate all of the proceeds to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Daniel Brassloff, a senior at Atlantic Community High School in Delray Beach, is founder and president of We the People, an equality club on Atlantic High School campus. Under Daniel's leadership, the organization created a website to help transgender people. He also led the club's participation in the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention's Out of the Darkness Walk. Daniel will be attending Babson College to study social entrepreneurship.

As an Ambassador of the Legacy Project through Compass and as a participant in the National LGBTQ Task Force's Creating Change conference, Jupiter resident Calvin Brown has developed skills to provide a much needed voice to help implement changes not only in Jupiter High School, but also throughout the School District of Palm Beach County. Following graduation, Calvin plans to attend college to major in Film and Art Studies.

Eric Burchill, 18, is his class' valedictorian at Wellington High School. He excelled in his science and math courses, even becoming a National Merit Scholar. Burchill has been involved in LGBT advocacy through his school's GSA chapter while serving as vice president. He said he's proud to make GSA an "outlet" for those who might not have supportive families. He plans to join Middlebury College's LGBT student association to give other LGBT people the many opportunities that he's been given.

Richeley Cajuste was born in Haiti and emigrated to the United States in 2016. Through his participation in Rainbow RAMS during high school, Richeley advocated for LGBTQ+ and social justice issues. He hopes to establish a chapter of the organization at Palm Beach State College, where he will be in the pre-med program, studying health sciences and biology.

Kavyasree Chigurupati, 17, is the intersectionality leader of the Gender-Sexualiy Alliance (GSA) at her high school, Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach. She was also voted "Class Activist" in her class' senior superlatives. But what she's most proud of is an initiative she co-founded in GSA called Technicolor. Technicolor is a submission-based student magazine that focuses on self-identity and self-expression, Chigurupati said. Chigurupati is heading to Rutgers University, a college in New Jersey, to study political science and pursue a career in public service.

​Melanie Camejo Coffigny, a senior at Lake Worth Community High School, is founder and president of her high school's GSA, which is one of the largest organizations at her school. In conjunction with 2016 PrideFest of the Palm Beaches, Melanie and other GSA members from throughout the county joined the parade contingent of policemen and women employed by the School District of Palm Beach County. Marching together, the group showed support for LGBTQ students. Melanie will be attending Duke University in the fall to study neuroscience.

Victor Espidol, a senior at Boynton Beach Community High School, is the founder of the Boynton Beach High School Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) and has been an active participant in the Compass LGBTQ Community Center's youth program. He is an advocate for comprehensive sexual education in the public schools and has spoken out about the need for more HIV prevention programs in Palm Beach County. Victor will be attending the University of Florida to study biology.

In his capacity as vice president and events coordinator of Spectrum, the Gay Straight Alliance at Lake Worth Community High School, Bryant worked on the World AIDS Day Memorial Quilt project at Compass, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Palm Beach Pride and the Equality Prom. "Bryant has been an outspoken advocate with a passion for serving those in the local LGBTQ community," said PBCHRC Vice President Carly Cass. Cass has coordinated PBCHRC's scholarship program since its inception in 2015.

Lake Worth Beach resident Ekko Greenbaum is a graduating dance major at Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. A dedicated artist, Ekko has been chosen to dance an array of repertoire from George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco to Paul Taylor’s Esplanade through her years at Dreyfoos and serves as the historian for the National Dance Honor Society. An AP Scholar Honors Award recipient, she received the Silver Key Scholastic Art & Writing Award for film photography.

Park Vista Community High School graduating senior Endora Guillaume is a passionate activist and outspoken woman of Haitian descent. At school, Endora has been active in both the school's Gender-Sexuality Alliance and Black Student Union. At Howard, Endora intends to become active with the ACLU, the LGBTQIA Committee, the Black Student Alliance, and other social justice organizations. In addition, she hopes to intern for a Member of Congress.

​In 2015, PBCHRC presented the inaugural Daniel S. Hall Social Justice Award to Ethan Kennedy, who graduated from Oxford Academy. Ethan founded and served as president of his school's Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA). Ethan is attending New College of Florida, where he is studying Political Science and Women's/Gender Studies.

Boca Raton resident Emma Kutcher studies communications at the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, where she serves as President of the school's Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA). With close to 100 members, the school's GSA is one of the largest in Palm Beach County. As Editor-in-Chief of the school's Marquee Yearbook, Emma has included coverage providing LGBTQ+ and minority students with a voice to tell their stories.

During their 4 years in high school, Sol was vice president of GSA for two years, and president of GSA for another two years. They organized a 150 page slideshow about LGBT+ history for GSA which was sent to the school board for use in developing a curriculum about LGBT+ history in schools. They were instrumental in organizing their school’s Day of Silence protest for awareness of the bullying of LGBT+ youth in schools.

Jax Martin, an outspoken individual that has a passion for serving those in the community, served a President of the Boynton Beach High School Gay Straight Alliance. An active member of the youth group at Compass Gay and Lesbian Community Center, Jax also has a passion for safer sex advocacy. Martin aspires to work in the field of HIV Prevention or within an area of the LGBTQ community that is undeserved.

Matthew Nadel is the founder and president of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts. The Alliance functions as both a supportive space for LGBTQ students and an on-campus activism organization. He has served on the National Student Council of GLSEN, the nation's largest organization devoted to LGBTQ activism in the K-12 school system. Matt will carry his passion for social action to Yale University, where he plans to pursue a double major in Political Science and Film & Media Studies.

As a two-term president of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance at the A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Emily worked together with colleagues Megan Hostetler and Matt Nadel, the school's administration and guidance department to establish eight gender-neutral restrooms on campus. Emily also curated a performing arts festival to showcase queer talent, including producing a show titled "Walk in Closet," which featured queer performance art, including poetry, dance and live music. She also succeeded in encouraging the school's administration to allow gender nonconforming students to have their preferred names in the yearbook.

Alex Smith, a graduate of the G-Star School of the Arts, became an activist in 2016, when she was accepted as a member of the Palm Beach Youth Leadership Council. Alex was a featured speaker at various programs, including the prestigious Deeper Well Sex Educators Conference in Atlanta. She also addressed a crowd of more than 4,000 people at the Women's March in West Palm Beach. Alex also has addressed elected officials in support of sexual health education throughout Florida and in Washington, D.C.

Theo Shusterman of West Palm Beach serves as Co-Vice President of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) at the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, where he organized the GSA Buddies Initiative and a community painting project. A gun-reform activist and Co-Director of March For Our Lives West Palm Beach, Theo will continue his social justice and advocacy efforts at Wesleyan University, where he plans to study political science and sociology. "At Weslyan, I intend to study the relationship between LGBTQ+ people and other minority groups within the American political system," said Theo.

Laura Susskind graduated from Florida Atlantic University High School. Over her years as a student, she participated in basketball, baseball, cheerleading, ice hockey, martial arts, soccer, and many other activities. Laura never let her gender limit her activities - even when she was the only female on the team! Laura is one of only three women - and the only out LGBTQ+ person -- in the Fire Explorers Program. Following graduation from Florida Atlantic University, she intends to become a firefighter.

Vanessa Whittle, a resident of West Palm Beach, will be graduating from Royal Palm Beach High School. She served as Vice President of the Speech and Debate team and Co-President of the Thespian Society, both clubs that she is extremely passionate about and used to spread the message of the fight that the LGBTQ+ Community faces. Vanessa competed in local, state, and national tournaments in both organizations that shed light on the issue of violence both against and within the LGBTQ+ Community.