2004 POINT SCHOLARS

Jesse Gilliam

George Washington University

Concentration: Public Affairs and Women’s Studies

Jesse was born in Chicago and raised in Alaska and northern Virginia. Jesse graduated high school as valedictorian and received high honors at the University of Virginia with a perfect GPA. Jesse has the distinction of being co-founder of the Day of Silence Project. He has also worked with the Millenium March, Youth Pride Alliance, and the Human Rights Campaign. With a master's degree in Public Affairs and Women's studies, Jesse plans to extend his accomplishments in improving the lives of LGBT youth.

In Jesse’s words: “. . . negative thoughts, like droplets of water falling into a bucket, add up in their impact . . . when bad things happen, I build with each droplet a motivation to create communities free of hatred.”