Queer Youth Leadership Award – Awardees:
Adrian Viloria
Student, Delta High School at Cabrillo College
Adrian Viloria is a “fearless leader” with a lot of heart who will go the extra mile for his community. Adrian is the president of both his school’s QSA and its version of an ASB, and is a founding member of Santa Cruz Youth Radio. Under his direction, Delta School’s QSA attendance has doubled. He organized his school’s participation in the 2015 Day of Silence, represented his school at the YES conference and other off-campus events, and works tirelessly to ensure other queer students have access to school resources. Although he has a dif cult home life, he still gets good grades and will even graduate early this year. Adrian is leaving behind a culture of caring that will long outlast his tenure at Delta School.
Grayson Forest
Student, Scotts Valley High School
Rock walls and other dif culties are no match for this young activist. As The president of his school’s QSA, Grayson Forest has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy to making school a safer place for queer students. He worked to help Scott’s Valley High School establish state-mandated genderless bathrooms and queer-friendly sex education. Recently he worked with other students to develop the “Teachers are Allies Too” presentation, and presented it both at his school and at the YES conference in San Francisco. Grayson also recently attended the Creating Change Conference in Chicago, and co- coordinated the SVHS Youth Summit in March. He is a good friend with a heart of gold, and has dedicated himself to activism despite the challenges he faces in his own life.
Johnson Lumicao
Student, Pájaro Valley High School
The sky’s the limit for academic star Johnson Lumicao. Johnson has a joyful, creative presence and is consistently at the top of his class. He is not afraid to challenge himself academically with dif cult classes and subjects. Johnson recently participated in WATCH (Watsonville Area Teens Conserving Habitat), a high-level science course in which he learned about local ecology and natural history. He nished off the class by conducting an impressive scienti c study in conjunction with the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Johnson can always be seen rocking beautiful “OUT ts” and expressing his own unique style. He is an out and proud queer student succeeding in all areas of life, and is a shining example
for other students and queer youth.
Robert Keller
Student, Aptos High School
Robert Keller is a natural leader who has dedicated signi cant time and energy to keeping Aptos High School’s Rainbow Alliance going. When the club fell on hard times this year, Robert stepped up and carried out the presidential duties required to maintain the club, although he had no of cial leadership position. He was assigned Secretary because he planned meetings and events, and made the club’s attendance of the YES! Conference in San Francisco possible. Rob- ert is a member of the Aptos High School Track and Field team year-round and maintains an excellent GPA. He also goes out of his way to make his peers feel included and heard in Rainbow Alliance meetings. He is an organized problem-
solver who sees what needs to be done and does it without hesitation.
Queer Youth Leadership Award – Nominees:
Alex Rocha
Student, Watsonville High School
Alex Rocha works hard to make her school a better, safer place for queer stu- dents, and has a knack for making people smile. Alex is an active and valuable member of her school’s Sexuality and Gender Acceptance (SAGA) club, and many queer students at Watsonville High School recognize her as someone who will go the extra mile to make sure they feel included. She is working with the school’s drama department on “What’s In A Name?”, an educational per- formance meant to start conversations and raise awareness among her fellow students about queer issues. Alex is dedicated to creating safe spaces at school, and always encourages people to be themselves. Her hard work and good na-
ture are what maker her a great activist and friend.
Anika Tabachnik
Intern, Subjects to Change Youth Empowerment Program at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH)
Anika Tabachnick is an intern in the Subjects to Change program at the MAH in Santa Cruz. Anika never shies away from a teachable moment and takes every opportunity to educate the people around them. They are dedicated to teach- ing people about the importance of respecting pronouns and transgender and gender nonconforming identities. Anika proposed that the MAH have a gender neutral bathroom, which recently became a permanent xture at the museum. This will go a long way to making the MAH a more welcoming space for trans/ nonbinary individuals. They are always working to creating communities and spaces that are safe and comfortable for trans/nonbinary individuals by educat- ing the people around them. They navigate an often unwelcoming world with con dence and grace, paving the way for other trans/nonbinary youth.
Hailey Howard
Student, Scotts Valley High School
Hailey Howard is a compassionate leader who isn’t afraid to speak out against injustice. Hailey is a leader of the Diversity Center’s Youth Program, and as a junior is the Vice President of her school’s QSA. She has helped to create and implement several Youth Program events, including the upcoming Breaking the Silence Rally and the Teachers are Allies Too presentation, which she gave with other students at the YES! Conference in San Francisco, at Santa Cruz High School and at her school. Hailey has been the target of bullying for be- ing a young queer black girl, and is proactive about speaking out to her peers against bullying and bigotry. She maintains a high GPA despite these challenges and commitments, and stands out by standing up for what’s right.
Kaleb Lennon
Student, Shoreline Middle School
Kaleb Lennon is an exceptional young man who reached out to teachers at Shoreline Middle School to create a GSA. Kaleb was instrumental in creating a visible queer presence at Shoreline that students all know about and have ac- cess to. He is also involved with the Diversity Center’s Queer Youth Program, where he helped co-create the “Teachers are Allies Too” presentation. Kaleb co-presented at the YES Conference in San Francisco and at Youth Summits at Scott’s Valley High School and Santa Cruz High School. He eloquently ex- plains the damaging effects of microaggressions and the importance of respect- ing pronouns and gender identity. Kaleb has faced insensitivity and transphobia from some of his teachers, and developed a presentation like “Teachers are
Allies Too” for his own school.
Murphy Guidice-Murphy
Student, Santa Cruz High School
Murphy Guidice-Murphy is a great friend and activist. Murphy has been the president of the Santa Cruz High School Rainbow Alliance for a year and a half, and has dedicated admirable amounts of time and effort to leading the club. They helped to develop and implement the rst Annual Diversity Dance on the Day of Silence in 2015 in conjunction with the Diversity Center, Harbor High School, Delta High School, and other organizations. They have coordi- nated a series of speakers for Rainbow Alliance discussion groups, and worked with the club to give a presentation on gender uidity to all of the freshman health classes. Murphy cares deeply about the club, and when they graduate this year they will leave behind a culture of kindness.
Rayne Brewer
Student, Pájaro Valley High School
Rayne Brewer is a mover and shaker for queer students at Pájaro Valley High School. She is the president of her school’s QSA this year, and has been an of cer since she was a rst year student. She is an energetic organizer, coor- dinating many events during her tenure in the QSA. Rayne worked hard last October to make sure no detail was overlooked for her school’s Coming Out Day celebration, which was a huge success. Rayne is a caring and thoughtful friend who dedicates her time and energy to making her school a safer place for queer youth. Queer students at her school know that they can come to her for support, and many people young and old look up to her as a leader.
Rena Carr
Student, Santa Cruz High School
Rena Carr’s hard work for the Santa Cruz High School Rainbow Alliance de- serves a spotlight of its own. Rena is the Treasurer of the Rainbow Alliance, and has been a consistent guiding presence since they joined. They work hard every day to extend the club’s message of acceptance and safety to hundreds of students at Santa Cruz High School. Rena attends every Rainbow Alliance meeting, often with food to share and always with pen and paper in hand to track meetings and balance the budget. In addition to their commitment to be- ing the club treasurer, Rena is a talented artist who lends their time and effort to creating and producing iers, announcements and posters for the Rainbow Alliance. Their compassion, diligence and hard work is inspirational.