2006 POINT SCHOLARS

Jacob Hunter Weldon

Columbia University

Sociology

TimeWarner Point Scholar

Jacob was raised in a right-wing Christian town in the heart of Southeast Texas.  His father, a former Marine, was extremely aggressive and has called him a “fag” ever since elementary school.  To turn the attention away from his questionable sexuality, Jacob threw himself into academics and extracurricular activities.  By the time he reached high school, Jacob was President of his class, Drum Major of the band, graduated Summa Cum Laude and was chosen the Most Likely to Succeed student in his class.  After coming out a year later, Jacob experienced a world of backlash from family and friends that led him down a self-destructive road, concluding with a suicide attempt that nearly ended his life.  Ironically, it was his Christian faith that turned his life around.  As a proud gay Christian, Jacob takes a grassroots approach to activism, speaking at schools and to local groups, encouraging others to push the boundaries of divisive traditionalist ideologies.  LGBT activism will forever be a top priority in Jacob’s life.  He plans to become a Queer Studies professor, where he can foster an open exchange of ideas and values, thereby pushing students to develop their own boundaries and belief systems.