Meet the 2012 Point Scholars

Angela Filley

Wells Fargo Point Scholar
Columbia University
Financial Engineering

When Angela Filley came out to her family and close friends, she was blessed to be met with acceptance and love. But Filley was disappointed in how her West Lafayette, Indiana community and school responded. So she launched the “ThinkB4YouSpeak” campaign at her high school and brought the issue of teacher sensitivity into the spotlight. Filley also was active in helping launch her school’s gay-straight alliance. As a firm believer in the power of imagery, Filley created a series of visual art pieces that were posted throughout her school and focused on increasing awareness of the adverse effects of LGBT‐bullying.

Filley’s research at Purdue University introduced her to the challenge of energy security, inspiring in her a strong commitment to developing sustainable energy resources. She helped create a comparative analysis of cap-and-trade policies and worked in the Birck Nanotechnology Center in a lab that develops regenerative solar cells. She now is working on water quality in an agricultural and biological engineering lab.

Filley also has a passion for business and politics. She is State President of the Indiana Future Business Leaders of America and plans on majoring in financial engineering at Columbia University with a minor in sustainable energy entrepreneurship. Filley is committed to becoming active in politics and working tirelessly to challenge the status quo on LGBT policies.