Community gives us strength and courage.

First, thank you to everyone who applied for the IGNITE Pride Scholarship and to those who joined the Humber Pride Flag Raising ceremony. We appreciate your support!

Every year, IGNITE awards $1000 to students who are not only part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community but also dedicate themselves to creating safe, inclusive and empowering spaces on campus and beyond.

Through this scholarship, IGNITE aims to offer more support and help ease the financial challenges that affect this community the most.

These students have diverse backgrounds and paths but share one goal: building a more inclusive future. Among many inspiring stories, a few stood out for their leadership, resilience and community commitment.

We’re thrilled to reveal the five outstanding recipients for this year. Let’s give a drum roll…

• Vinicius Valerio Ferreira Jr
• Alexis Trepanier
• Adam Morgenstern
• Joseph Lau
• Chi Yan Kwong

We had the opportunity to speak with them and learn more about their stories. Here’s what they shared.

Balancing challenges and opportunity

For Vinicius Valerio Ferreira Jr, the journey to Humber Polytechnic started with a leap of faith, leaving behind family and friends in Brazil to pursue a better future in Canada.

As an international student, Ferreira has juggled financial stress and academics, but the Pride Scholarship brought relief and renewed motivation.

“This scholarship allows me to focus more on my studies and professional development,” Ferreira said. 

Ferreira is working toward a career in marketing and is particularly passionate about pushing the industry toward greater inclusivity.

Although Ferreira’s family is an ocean away, their emotional support has never wavered. Toronto’s vibrant 2SLGBTQ+ community also offers a space of safety and empowerment. 

Passion, purpose and progress

Alexis Trepanier knows that education doesn’t always follow a straight line. As a part-time, online student in early childhood studies, balancing school with other responsibilities has been a long but rewarding journey.

The Pride Scholarship is a milestone that brings Trepanier closer to the dream of completing a master of social work and supporting marginalized families. 

“This award helps alleviate the financial strain of post-secondary education. It helps me focus on what matters most — my studies and my community,” Trepanier said.

Trepanier is driven by a deep passion for care work, particularly for children and youth within the 2SLGBTQ+ and neurodiverse communities.

“Scholarships like this have a ripple effect. They open doors for future students to feel safe, acknowledged and fully themselves in academic spaces,” Trepanier said.

Advocacy that inspires and empowers

For Adam Morgenstern, the Pride Scholarship is a powerful reminder that advocacy matters and that it gets noticed. 

“It validates the time and effort I’ve put into helping others and it encourages me to keep doing what I care about,” Morgenstern said.

Morgenstern’s advocacy work began long before their polytechnic journey, but it was on campus that the passion turned into action through volunteering, organizing events and building community spaces.

“When I came to Humber, I found community at the LGBTQ+ Resource Centre and it has been immensely helpful to have such a supportive and loving second family on campus,” Morgenstern said. 

They see this scholarship as a beacon for others, a sign that community involvement is valuable and that showing up for others matters. 

“Every once in a while, a little bit of recognition can go a long way and help to keep people doing the things that they feel passionately about,” they said.

Storytelling for visibility and change

Joseph Lau’s calling is storytelling, not just for entertainment, but for truth, visibility and change. As a filmmaker, Lau works to create content that reflects queer and trans lives with depth and honesty.

Balancing creativity with coursework and financial stress hasn’t been easy. But for Lau, storytelling isn’t just a career, it’s a way to create space for others to feel seen. 

“Receiving this scholarship is a huge encouragement. It eases some of the financial pressure, which lets me focus more on developing my voice as a storyteller,” Lau said.

Support from both family and chosen community helped Lau stay grounded through moments of doubt. On campus, professors and friends encouraged Lau to keep developing a voice as a creator.

“For LGBTQ+ students, the path can be lonely and filled with extra challenges emotionally, socially, and financially. When you receive something like this, it feels like someone is saying, ‘You matter. Your story matters,’” they said.

Celebrating leadership, community and Pride

Thank you to every student who applied. Sharing your stories takes courage and your dedication to creating change in your communities, classrooms and careers inspires us all.

To this year’s recipients, congratulations! Your leadership is already making a difference and this is only the beginning. 

Pride is more than a month. It’s a movement, a mindset and a promise to never stop showing up as your true self. 

Feature image courtesy of IGNITE. 

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