Pride at Lindner reaches scholarship endowment goal

PaL, the student organization pushing for an inclusive and empowering environment for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff and community allies at Lindner and UC, began the fundraising drive for the Pride at Lindner Scholarship and Programming Fund in fall 2021.

“All of us on the exec team are so excited that we have reached our fundraising goal,” said PaL President Aaron Bialon, BBA ’23. “Each of us have worked so hard to make sure that we reached our fundraising goal.”

The fund will support future students who demonstrate the initiative and leadership in making Lindner and UC a more diverse, inclusive and welcoming space, with support for PaL programming also a possibility.

“By focusing on people and education, we believe this approach will have the greatest impact in supporting LGBTQ+ students and helping move the cultural awareness and inclusion of all marginalized identities at Lindner in an empathetic and authentic way,” said Nadia Ibrahim-Taney, PaL adviser and an adjunct management professor at Lindner.

Part of the fund’s original purpose is to help offset the financial hardships of having to borrow for college or navigate sometimes complex financial aid opportunities. According to the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute, LGBTQ adults ages 18 to 40 with federal student loans owe an average of $34,000 in federal loan and $47,500 in total student debt. Additionally, LGBTQ adults are more likely to have federal student loans than non-LGBTQ adults (35% vs. 23%), even when factoring differences in age composition of the two groups.

“Reaching this goal is one of my proudest achievements at UC, because I know how much it will mean to our LGBTQ+ students, who face more barriers when it comes to financing a college education,” said Melissa Newman, PhD, PaL adviser and an associate professor-educator of management.

Ibrahim-Taney was heartened by the support the fund received from the Lindner and UC community. 

“From social media pushes to financial contributions, most of the funding came through in small denomination donations spread across hundreds of donors. This really shows the impact small donations can make and the universal support of our Bearcat community,” Ibrahim-Taney said. “So, if you are reading this and thinking, ‘Wow, how does my $10 or $25 gift matter?’ I’m here to tell you it matters to each and every student who benefits from your donation, and we thank you, see you and appreciate you!”

Featured image: Lindner and UC students enjoy Loud and Proud on the Lawn at Sigma Sigma Commons.