2004 POINT SCHOLARS

Zach Zyskowski

University of California at Los Angeles

Concentration: History and Global Studies

Zach was born and raised in a very conservative community in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains in California. He came out when he was 13, in a school where he endured verbal abuse and physical assault. Zach’s grandparents raised him until he and his grandmother had to leave his abusive and hurtful alcoholic grandfather. Despite the turmoil at home, Zach has been able to leverage his gifts both academic and artistic. His violin has taken him around the world to perform in cities including Paris, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Zach started his school’s Gay-Straight Alliance and organized a Day of Silence with 800 participants in his senior year. After graduating valedictorian, Zach enrolled in UCLA to study communications in preparation for a career in law and social services.

In Zach’s own words: “Although these experiences did marginalize my safety and my ability to receive love and true support from some family members and many others in the community, I will not stop my fight.”