Scholarship
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PFLAG Cape Cod Anne Toran Scholarship

Each spring, PFLAG Cape Cod awards scholarships/toolships* to graduating high school seniors from the Cape and Islands. Students chosen for these awards have shown, through their actions and example, support and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. Since 2003, including this year, we have awarded over $85,000 in scholarships, so please consider making a donation to next year's scholarship fund using the button below! ​

In the spring of 2023, four seniors from Cape and Islands high schools have been named recipients of the 2023 Anne Toran Scholarship and will each receive a $2,500 scholarship! ​More information about the four scholarship recipients is further down.

To learn more about Anne Toran, the person for whom the scholarship is named, please follow this link.  ​​

* Toolships are financial resources that help career-bound students defray the cost of tools, equipment, uniforms, certifications/licenses, or other trade-related expenses, whereas Scholarships provide financial resources to college-bound students to assist with books, room, board, or tuition. We encourage both career- and college-bound students to apply!

 If you would like to help students achieve their full potential, ​please make a donation
​to the PFLAG Cape Cod Anne Toran Scholarship fund by clicking the button below! 

DONATE TO SCHOLARSHIP FUND

​About the 2023 Scholarship Recipients

Livia (they/all pronouns), who identifies as gay, plans to attend the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and study Music Education. They have been a private tutor of the trombone, to both elementary and middle school students as well as special needs students. Livia is proficient in musical performance, from the Falmouth Marching Band and school plays to Cape Symphony Youth Orchestra as well as various ensembles from Berklee Aspire Big Band, Combo, and Pit Orchestra. They have also been in the Falmouth Town Band for the Christmas tree lighting ceremonies and attended Berklee College of Music for Aspire: Music Performance Intensive in the summer of 2022.
 
A recipient of the Falmouth High School “Best Brass Player” award and a Math Team member, Livia is involved in many community activities and an Honor Student as well. As their Guidance Counselor says, “Livia is a kind, compassionate, intelligent, and dedicated person. They are confident in circumstances where it may seem unfair and will speak their opinion, serving as a champion for those that are less confident and are not deterred by peer pressure. Livia meets others where they are and that is the perfect first step to being an amazing teacher.” Their Physical Education, Health & Adventure Teacher shares that Livia “has shown peers and younger students what is possible, especially when they embrace their identity and express themselves without worry or restraint.”
 
Livia found the GSA quite helpful in middle school as they questioned their identity, adding that the GSA “truly helped me undo any negative mindsets towards my identity."

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Kipper (he/him), who identifies as a queer-trans-gay-man, will study Ecology and Environmental Sciences related to agriculture and equity, focusing on food access, its quality, and sustainability. While in high school, Kipper attended Honors Biology and AP Chemistry and received the Achievement Award in AP Chemistry in 2022. Kipper has applied to a number of leading universities and colleges but has not yet decided which venue will best support his aspirations.
 
While in high school, Kipper was very involved with the Environmental Club, Youth Climate Committee, and Clean Team and was the Captain of the Cross Country Running team. The Arts are also a big part of Kipper’s life and talents. As Kipper's School Counselor shared, “…Kipper is an artistic creator…his acting skills and strong voice have been demonstrated in leading roles in high school musicals.” He has been involved with the Drama Club, and Spring Musical and was accepted for All-State Music Festival 2023 as part of the Accidentals and Naturals Vocal Group. Through his experiences, Kipper expressed, “…in an age with transphobia in the news, in politics, at home, we are often pushed into the position where we have to be an advocate, an educator, and a supporter. We must advocate for ourselves and our rights, and with that, we must educate others on the fact that we exist and have the right to…I have put in great effort with the goal that other students won’t have to. Working with my school and community I have made a positive impact on the LGBTQ+ youth..”
 
One such example of Kipper’s passion for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community is his crusade towards updating Title IX within the district handbook, which entitles students and staff to the use of appropriate facilities regardless of their gender. His Guidance Counselor commented that “Kipper is an empathetic, kind, and compassionate student who has a genuine love for learning, an enduring curiosity, and a formidable amount of resilience and perseverance... coexisting among like-minded advocates for justice and equity and understanding the hard work it takes to do all of that as a student, an entrepreneur, and as a beneficial member of society…”​​

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Blu (they/them), who identifies as bisexual and transgender, specifically non-binary, plans to attend Thomas College in Waterville, Maine to study Psychology and Mental Health. “My friends and I,” shares Blu, “decided to join our middle school’s GSA. Despite not being out yet, I liked the idea of being part of the community, even if I had to do so as a 'straight ally'. We continued to take part in the club, and eventually, we felt like a family. I came out for the first time in seventh grade.”
 
As a Girl Scout and working towards the Girl Scout Gold Award, Blu proposed the idea of Student Mental Health as an area of further exploration especially as it aligns with LGBTQ+ youth. As their Adjustment Counselor at Falmouth High School, explains, “Blu has focused on LGBTQ+ identifying youth and the impact that homophobia and transphobia have on mental health. Later this school year, Blu will share this research with our faculty and staff and create informational brochures which they plan to share at our school and community libraries.”
 
“I have been part of organized projects and events in advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community”, Blu shares, “the most meaningful thing I have done is just being there for other LGBTQ+ youth. We stand up for each other in times of discrimination. We are able to connect on a deeper level before even knowing each other, which I think is beautiful.”
 
Blu has also been a camper, counselor, and mentor at summer camps for children of incarcerated parents. Blu's Adjustment Counselor describes them as, “a person that exudes passion, understanding, and empathy and uses their own experience to empower youth to be true to themselves.”

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Annie (she/her), who identifies as a straight white female, plans to attend Northeastern University in their Honors Program, studying Computer Science. She has a passion for all things STEM and during high school was enrolled in eight AP-level courses. Annie is President of the National Honor Society, a member of both the Math and Science National Honor Societies, as well as being a math tutor.
 
Annie joined the Human Rights Club and later became their President, which connected to her high school’s GSA club. In this experience, Annie was able to hear firsthand stories from her peers that made her quickly become an advocate for "doing the right thing". It was during this time that her brother shared that he was gay and she not only was a beacon of hope for him, but her heart turned to others in her community that also needed an advocate. Annie adds, “Every day, I learn more from my brother, and from my many friends in the community, on how I can be a stronger ally, and where I can further my education.” “We can all make a change,” she adds, “we must all act together and be anti-homophobia…and gain further education on what roles I can play in this fight for equality.”
 
As a member of the Climate Summit Group of Cape Cod Annie had a mission to save our Earth. In 2022 she collaborated with the high school guidance department and other professionals to develop and prepare for Mental Health Month as part of a civic project focused on the importance of her peers’ emotional well-being. According to the Social Studies Department Head “…her capacity for caring for her fellow humans became apparent. This is a gift, something that can be nurtured, but not really taught.”​

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In announcing this year’s Anne Toran Scholarship recipients, Joe Lima, President of PFLAG Cape Cod said, “Our Scholarship Committee, headed this year by Board Member Julie Allen Hamilton, was able to acknowledge the incredible courage, bravery, and scholastic achievements that Livia, Blu, Kipper, and Annie bring forth as advocates for social justice and community change. Their leadership and unbridled strength, not only for their own path but also for those that might not have a voice, are nothing short of selfless. They are truly advocates forging change in our society to accept all, no matter what. For in the end, we are all united by one common thread – the human heart.”   

Joe adds that “the advocacy work that Livia, Blu, Kipper, and Annie have each committed themselves to doing makes them inspiring profiles in LGBTQ+ courage. Their activism is a beacon of hope and their conscious leadership, kindness, and intuitive nature are what our society requires today, tomorrow, and going forward. We thank them for being who they need to be and for bringing sustainable change to our world.”

​​Written by Darby Hobbs, author and volunteer

​Congratulations to Livia, Kipper, Blu, and Annie for being
awarded PFLAG Cape Cod's 2023 Anne Toran Scholarship!
Our gratitude and well-wishes go out to them as they set out 
to make the world a better, kinder, ​and more inclusive place for all!