For a second consecutive year, the State University of New York (SUNY) awarded the Harvey Milk Scholarship for Outstanding Student Leadership in the LGBTQIA+ community — and this year’s winner is Lianne De La Cruz, a student at the SUNY Medical University of Upstate New York.
Milk, the scholarship’s namesake, was a graduate of SUNY Albany’s class of 1951 before moving on to pave the way for gay rights after he moved to San Francisco. The New York native was one of the first out elected officials in the United States, serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 1977 until he was assassinated just under a year later.
His nephew, Stuart Milk, honored his legacy by establishing the Harvey Milk Foundation, and continues to honor it by advocating for not only the LGBTQIA+ community, but all those marginalized by systemic inequalities.
This year’s winner, De La Cruz, received the award for her exemplary work with the LGBTQIA+ community and commitment to queer visibility. De La Cruz has led educational initiatives about the queer patient population for future healthcare providers with “The Rural and Underserved Service Track” (TRUST).
“The Milk Family and the Harvey Milk Foundation are proud and encouraged by Harvey’s alma mater’s efforts to continue in his legacy and inspire future leaders to embody the principles of hope and inclusivity that Harvey so firmly believed in,” Harvey Milk Foundation general counsel and director, Miriam Richter, said in a written statement. “Thank you for carrying on the hope.”
De La Cruz, a queer Latina child of immigrants, also previously served as philanthropy and outreach chair for Upstate Medical University’s Spectrum organization as well as co-chair of the Latino Medical Student Association’s mentorship program. She consistently promotes LGBTQIA+ representation and education as medical student committee chair for the Association of LGBTQ+ Psychiatrists.
De La Cruz dedicates her work to creating trauma-informed and identity-affirming mental health care for members of the queer community.
“Lianne De La Cruz demonstrates a steadfast commitment to her mission to promote equity in mental health care for LGBTQIA+ and underserved communities,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr.
De La Cruz said she is honored to be this year’s recipient of the SUNY Harvey Milk Scholarship Award.
“Coming from a community that remains persistent in the face of oppression and uncertainty, it is the work of Harvey Milk and other activists that highlights the collective resilience and inspired me every day,” De La Cruz said.
She added: “Receiving this scholarship contributes to my mission of addressing the unique mental health disparities of LGBTQIA+ patients as a future psychiatrist. As I continue my training, I remain committed to spotlighting the strengths, joys, and legacies of LGBTQIA+ individuals like myself.”
De La Cruz will receive $2,000 from the Harvey Milk Award to fund her education and allow her to continue her mission in LGBTQIA+ advocacy.
Last year’s recipient of the award was SUNY Cortland’s Vinny Aquino, a trans man who was recognized for his work in diversifying a student organization known as Pride. Aquino was a psychology major.
