Meet the 2012 Point Scholars

Isaias Guzman

University of California, Berkeley
Political Science

Isaias Guzman was born and raised in a predominantly low‐income Latino community in Southeast Los Angeles to Mexican-immigrant parents. His family struggles financially. But Guzman learned early in life that education is key to success, and so he took charge of his own education and is the first in his family to attend college.

Guzman struggled with his sexuality and came out during his sophomore year of high school. His LGBT activism subsequently flourished, and he became president of his school’s gay‐straight alliance and joined the national Gay‐Straight Alliance Network. As president, Guzman launched awareness events and worked with his school administration to create a harassment and discrimination complaint form. Thanks to his involvement in GSA Network, Guzman became a Youth Council member, youth trainer, Statewide Advocacy Council member and a board member. He has helped empower hundreds of youth as they work to fight homophobia in their schools, and he has lobbied for legislation in Sacramento that would create safer schools for students.

Guzman also attended the first‐ever UN Consultation on anti‐LGBT bullying in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. He hopes to continue to fight for social justice as a political science major at UC Berkeley by learning how government can eliminate social inequalities and how he can assist marginalized communities through a career in public service.