FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – Education is essential for future leaders, and Fernandina Beach Pride wants to make sure those leaders include members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies.
The organization has given out $36,000 in scholarship money to Nassau County high school seniors since 2019.
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And this year was their biggest yet. Seven students from Fernandina Beach High School and one from Yulee High were awarded a total of $13,000.
“Education is the most important thing when it comes to LGBTQ youth, and we want to ensure that more educated, successful LGBTQ+ and ally students grow up to have an easier road to finishing their education journey,” said Fernandina Beach Pride President Jordan Morris (he/him).
Morris said students interested in applying for a scholarship must be Nassau County seniors who are interested in higher education and identify as LGBTQ+ or an ally.
“It is not need-based. It is not merit-based. It is based on their understanding of diversity and the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community,” Morris explained. “These are going to be the next leaders in our community. We want to make sure that they have all the support that they need to get the education that they need to be the next generation of leaders.”
One of those leaders is Yulee graduate Loraya Poindexter, who was awarded a $2,000 scholarship by Fernandina Beach Pride this year.
Poindexter (she/her), who identifies as an LGBTQ ally, said she plans to study nursing at the University of North Florida, beginning in the fall.
“I’m very grateful for the scholarship, even though I did not think I was getting it at all,” she said. “I’m still in shock.”
Morris encouraged any rising Nassau County seniors who are interested in pursuing further education at a university, trade school or technical school to keep an eye on Fernandina Beach Pride’s social media accounts, starting in January 2026.
“We’ll have all the information about the next scholarship cycle,” he said.
The application process begins in January and ends in April. Scholarship grants are made directly to the institution the student plans to attend.
