Student Stories: Past Award Recipients

James Schoenemann
Madison Malcolm Shabazz High School
2006 Scholarship Recipient
Since graduating from high school I've accomplished many things I am very proud of, including my journey all over Madison going from door to door fighting for equality and encouraging Wisconsin voters to vote NO against the marriage ban last fall. In doing so I didn't just get a great tan from walking outside for hours at a time. Instead I received several donations and many votes for a more equal, happier, and fair Wisconsin. Even though the vote did not turn out in favor of the thousands of loving families that lack the hundreds of rights that come with marriage and civil unions, I still felt that we all made a huge difference in the way people think about love, equality, and what makes a family.

Now days I am very busy with my full time job as a Resident Care Technician at Central Wisconsin Center for the Intellectually Impaired, where I recently came out as transgender. I am currently making huge strides in educating fellow staff about gender identity and gender expression. And so far, thanks to all the education I received from GSA for Safe Schools, it's going smoothly.

I am also a new member of the group called "The MadKings", a troupe that performs gender through music and dance. This fall I will also be a part of a world wide photography project that is based in France called the xxboys, a project that uses art and photography to help people understand the many transitioning FtM transgender individuals around the world. Other than that, I have been going where ever my heart and beliefs take me.