This scholarship was created by Sam McVeety & Jordan Goldwarg in 2014 to support LGBTQ-identified students who are “out” leaders and play a varsity-level sport in college.
Words from the Creators:
I rowed on my college crew team and Jordan was on the ski team. Both of us were out to our teammates (who were very supportive), but we found that there wasn’t a support network for out athletes on campus, beyond our immediate teams. It ultimately felt very isolating to know that we were some of the only people “like us” that we knew of.
We are interested in recognizing and supporting other athletes who find themselves in similar situations. We would also like to encourage those individuals’ involvement with boarder organizations such as Athlete Ally, You Can Play, and Pride Foundation. Though not specifically required by the scholarship, it is our hope that the community recognition that this scholarship provides will inspire LGBTQ student athletes to increase their own levels of involvement and leadership within their community. We were inspired by individuals like Holly Metcalf, a former Olympic rower, and Nathaniel Brown, the former US Ski Team coach.
This scholarship is dedicated to athletes who have the desire and skill to be visible on their campuses and beyond.
Sam McVeety and Jordan Goldwarg live in Seattle, Washington.