SCHOLARSHIPS
The Thomas and Sara Branton Point Scholarship
Brian Branton, a member of the Point Foundation’s Board of Regents, created the Thomas and Sara Branton Point Scholarship to honor his parents. The Thomas and Sara Branton Point scholarship gives priority to LGBT students of distinction from North Carolina attending school in either North Carolina or Washington, DC.
“In the broadest sense, I think nearly all gay men and women are bound by a common thread – the fear of being rejected by our families and friends when we are coming out of the closet. During my generation, that fear kept many young men and women in the closet longer than necessary out of concern that we would be forced to fend for ourselves at a time when we were just learning how to stand outside our parents’ shadows. I was fortunate that my parents only returned love and support when I came out, but this fear of being disowned kept me from telling them the truth about myself until a few months after I graduated from college. Point Foundation has shown me that sadly far too many are not so lucky, and I have been floored by the strength and determination of the Point Scholars who have overcome great odds to not only get an education but to excel in their studies and in their lives. I created the Thomas and Sara Branton Point Scholarship to honor my parents who have given me what every young person should have – unconditional love -- and to give a scholar the same financial and emotional support that my parents always gave me.”
--Brian Branton
Current Awardee: George Aumoithe
