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Peter Konrath founded Milwaukee’s Ricardo Correa Scholarship Foundation 11 years ago after the death of Ricardo Correa, his partner of 15 years and leader in the gay community. The foundation’s mission is to offer scholarships to LGBT students seeking to become future leaders in the gay community. It offers two awards: a $1,000 Wisconsin state scholarship and a $2,000 national scholarship. Candidates who apply for the state scholarship are automatically enrolled for the national scholarship, which was created in 2010.
The top 20 candidates are picked by a committee made up of foundation board members and then a committee of National Education Association (NEA) members picks the winner(s) at their annual convention. To be eligible, the student must be pursuing a degree in a four-year accredited college or university or be an LGBT public high school senior or straight ally, be in the top fourth of the graduating class and share a two-page essay on their life as a LGBT student/straight ally and the role models who influenced them. Applications are due by May 1 each year. Since its founding, the Ricardo Correa Scholarship Foundation has awarded $15,000 in Wisconsin and national scholarships.
“The foundation is no longer just a way to remember my partner, but is all about the phenomenal students and their accomplishments,” says Konrath.
The nonprofit holds an annual fundraising event called RicFest on the last Saturday before Thanksgiving break, which is open to the public. The Ricardo Correa Scholarship Foundation is always seeking donations to help support its mission. For more information, call 262-573-3321, email ric.fest@yahoo.com or visit ricfest.org.
