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LGBTQ+ community support shown by Niagara Pride scholarship winners

Two high school students won the Jean Hopkins Memorial Scholarship.

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Niagara Pride is a nonprofit organization that serves the LGBTQ+ community and individuals in Niagara County and WNY. This month it announced the winners of the Jean Hopkins Memorial Scholarship to two local high schoolers.

This memorial scholarship was established in 2021 in memory of Jean Hopkins, a lifelong resident of Niagara Falls. Hopkins was an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and helped family and friends with projects, was an active member in her church community, and worked with many LGBTQ+ organizations.

She played a big role in forming the Rainbow Seniors Visible and Proud and Niagara Pride, Inc., two WNY organizations. Hopkins helped make Niagara County a more inclusive place for everyone.

The annual $500 scholarship is awarded to aid in post-high school educational costs. It is intended for students that are in the LGBTQ+ community or are allies, that have demonstrated commitments to supporting social justice or increasing health in their community.

This year Cayla Mendetta of Lockport High School and Olivia Bugbee of Starpoint High School were the recipients.

Bugbee went through many physical injuries but demonstrated resilience by overcoming them. She volunteered with developmentally disabled youth and recounts it as an incredibly rewarding experience. 

When asked what success meant to her, she wrote, “Love is also a measure of success. No matter how much money or status you have, nothing will amount to how love can make you feel. Knowing that if you lost all possessions, you could still be rich with happiness if you had someone you loved. I have learned that loving the right person, loving what you do, and loving who you are is the greatest measure of success.”

Mendetta has also spent a great deal of her time volunteering. She plans to be an animal educator and help support animals that are injured.

“Volunteering is truly nothing new to me," Mendetta said. "Growing up I have volunteered for Rapids Fire Hall and the SPCA. But the organization that I have volunteered with the most and the longest has been Diamonds In The Ruff (DITR) Animal Rescue. I started fostering for DITR in 2016, where we have taken in countless disabled animals.”

To learn more about Niagara Pride, click here.

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