A true leader is someone who inspires others, understands their own strengths and weaknesses, and believes in others. Alexis Scott has led the revived Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC) student group at Penn State for over a year and fits this definition of a true leader. In a short time, she was able to bring together a group of individuals who felt like they didn’t have a place at Penn State. With her leadership in QTPOC, she successfully built a community that provided support and meaningful connections.
Early in her Penn State career Scott attended the Northeast LGBT Conference where she first learned about Queer People of Color student organizations. Hoping to find something like this at Penn State, she reached out to the LGBTQA Student Resource Center and the Paul Robeson Cultural Center to learn that a similar group did exist at Penn State until 2014. Believing in the sense of community and support that this group could provide, she decided to revive it and officially re-launched the organization during the fall 2016 semester.
“QTPOC has established itself as a reliable resource within the community and a source of activism and advocacy for marginalized groups,” said Scott. “In October, we held our first open discussion in collaboration with other multicultural organizations on campus that we ironically titled ‘No Homo: A Discussion on Homophobia in Communities of Color.' This discussion allowed people to speak freely about their opinions and identify where they stemmed from. This provided an opportunity for participants to learn from and connect with one another.”
Throughout her final year at Penn State, Scott will work to build stronger connections between QTPOC, other student organizations, and departments within Penn State. She hopes this work will help with fundraising for future QTPOC plans and partnerships that will help foster this supportive community.
“This is a banner year for the Stand Up Award, which has now brought visibility and recognition to 30 remarkable leaders who have stood up to make a difference at Penn State and far beyond,” said Ted Toadvine, the Nancy Tuana Director of the Rock Ethics Institute. “Alexis, Brian and Hayly exemplify the courage and fortitude that our world so needs today, and as we celebrate their impressive accomplishments, we also honor a decade of amazing individuals who are now bringing their passion and dedication to the service of just causes and communities in need around the globe. The Rock Ethics Institute is honored to count these exceptional leaders among our Stand Up Award recipients, and we look forward to the ways that they will shape our shared future for the better.”
More information about the honorees and the Stand Up Award can be found at www.StandUpPSU.com.
The Rock Ethics Institute was established through a $5 million gift in 2001 from Doug and Julie Rock to the College of the Liberal Arts. The institute’s mission is to promote ethical awareness and inquiry across the University, and in the public and professional sectors, through a three-fold emphasis on teaching, research and outreach. Recently, the Rocks endowed the Nancy Tuana Directorship of the Rock Ethics Institute with an additional $5 million gift, which was part of a larger commitment they made to the College during ‘For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students.’