Office of Student Success | Colin Powell School
Office of Student Success | Colin Powell School
The Mixner LGBTQ+ Equal Rights Fellowship, in partnership with the CCNY LGBTQ+ Student Center and the CUNY LGBTQI+ Advisory Council, is a yearlong program for students leading the movement for LGBTQ+ rights and freedom. The fellowship is named for David Mixner, a lifelong political activist involved in the movements to end the Vietnam War, pass civil rights legislation, achieve nuclear disarmament, and create a humane, stigma-free, education-based and treatment-focused approach to the AIDS epidemic.
If you identify as LGBTQ+ or an ally AND want to work on LGBTQ+ rights, this is the program for you! Our workshops will introduce you to leaders in the equality movement who will share the experiences and strategies that have shaped their careers and achieved gains for us all. The fellowship enables you to intern at advocacy organizations such as Equality NY, GMHC, and SAGE. Alternatively, you might increase representation by joining an LGBTQ+ affinity group while interning at a corporation. The program is open to all CUNY students, not just those who attend CCNY.
The fellowship starts in the Fall semester each year.
We are still accepting a limited number of applications for the 2024-2025 Mixner fellowship.
We will process applications on a rolling basis.
Fellows will receive a stipend of $5,500 for 300 internship hours based on a work schedule determined between the student and host organization. Internships are flexible, so you can work fewer hours if that’s what your schedule permits. Most fellows prefer to work during the summer but some fellows start their internships in the spring semester.
Past fellows have interned at GMHC, Equality New York, SAGE, and the Hetrick-Martin Institute.
Accepted fellows will be connected to partner organizations based on their areas of interest and skills. We encourage fellows to use this opportunity to pursue internships that align with their career goals.
We are launching a mentoring program in Spring 2024 that will pair Mixner fellows with leaders in the LGBTQ+ community.
Applicants for the 2024-2025 fellowship:
Fellows will be required to attend monthly meetings each semester that introduce them to guest speakers and organizations working within the LGBTQ+ equal rights movement. In addition, they should attend meetings organized for Colin Powell School fellows and other relevant events.
Annabel Savarese is a third-year undergraduate Macaulay honors student at Hunter College, majoring in Psychology with a certificate in Human Rights. She is interested in clinical and health psychology, particularly surrounding underserved populations such as minorities. She hopes to approach psychology from a public health perspective and address disparities in psychological research and education. Annabel is on track to graduate in Spring 2026 and plans to pursue an M.D. or Ph.D. post-graduation. She hopes to use the skills learned through this fellowship to advocate for LGBTQ+ populations through her research.
Doris Yeboah is a sophomore at City College of New York, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Black Studies. She identifies as a Queer Black Woman. Growing up in an African home, she used to think she must marry a man to achieve life’s goals. However, upon moving to the United States at the age of 13 and starting school, she no longer felt alone, finding herself surrounded by friends who identified as LGBTQ+ or were allies. Doris attended an all-girls’ school for high school and parts of middle school, where she noticed that people within the LGBTQ+ community were hesitant to see the school therapist. They feared being outed and not feeling seen or safe, and often confided in other queer individuals or allies instead of seeking professional help.
Doris’s mission in life is to become a therapist for everyone, particularly those who identify as LGBTQIAA+ and any form of gender. She wants to spread awareness within this community that seeing a therapist is okay, safe, and a vital part of self-care.
Dylan Bhigroog is a proud Queens native juggling the worlds of Computer Science and Women & Gender Studies as a junior at Hunter College. Whether streamlining initiatives at the NYC Deputy Mayor’s office or delving into LGBTQ research at GLAAD, Dylan thrives on advocacy and community ties. His heart beats for making a difference where technology, policy, and inclusivity intersect – because behind every line of code is a human story waiting to be told.
Gia is a sophomore who is a biology major, and a minor in psychology on the pre-health track. Her parents are Mexican immigrants, and she was raised in Queens. She grew up in a big family, so she has always grown up with a sense of community. They are very passionate about justice in the healthcare field and equity, especially when it comes to women of color and transgender rights. The mental health of queer youth is so important to her, especially those who are first-generation and identify as LGBTQIA+ and need extra support as they know firsthand how much that can be a lot for a young queer person who is the child of immigrants. She hopes to go to medical school and become a doctor to treat every patient with the best care and respect, as well as to hopefully help change the system within. In her free time, she likes to read books, especially mystery novels, which help her apply what she learns in psychology to her hobbies. They love to eat food, and discover new places, especially in the city where there are always new things to discover.
Kaila is a senior at City College majoring in Biomedical Sciences and Psychology. She is Black, Latina, and originally from Queens. She is studying to become a physician. As a physician, Kaila aims to provide a welcoming and safe environment. While studying, she volunteers with the New York Civil Liberties Union. Combining her love for medicine and activism, she hopes to assist in HIV prevention. In her free time, Kaila dabbles in photography and attends concerts.
Maleek Williams Bey is a senior who will be majoring in Psychology and Minoring in black studies during the 2024-2025 school year. He was born and raised in New York and is a first-generation student. He has an interest in community work, especially the intersection between the black community and LGBTQ+ issues. He takes up activities such as crocheting and poetry and wants to explore all creative things. He hopes to enter the mental health field to help those across all communities, but specifically those in the B.I.P.O.C. and LGBTQ+ community, in hopes of opening local community centers that provide accessible, affordable, and unbiased mental health care.
Barry is a Sophomore at Queens College. He is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Creative Writing and Film. Barry is interested in normalizing trans representation as well as alternative queer aesthetics in all environments, especially in professional settings. Barry likes to cook, write, listen to music, Photograph, and have intellectual conversations about politics, philosophy, and psychology.
Shivani Ramsaran is a senior in the Psychology BA/MA program at CCNY and a Macaulay Honors College student. She is interested in working with non-profit organizations, government branches, and other policy-making sectors that aim to advocate for and achieve equal rights for minorities. She also has a passion for understanding the relationships between policy-making and mental well-being about LGBTQ+ issues. In her spare time, Shivani enjoys exploring new places around NYC, making arts & crafts, and playing video games. She is also the Social Media and Outreach Manager for the Macaulay Queer Alliance.
Sol (they/he) is a Sophomore majoring in Sociology and minoring in Women and Gender Studies at City College. They are a proud Ecuadorian and Guyanese individual who is passionate about helping queer people of color, especially transgender youth. He hopes to fill research gaps about the transgender community. They enjoy informing themselves and others on gender diversity, sexual orientation, and romantic orientation within the context of amatonormativity. In his free time, he enjoys knitting and crocheting. You will likely find them with their nose in a book or talking about a new interest.
Tess (they/she) is an English Lit major and a senior at the City College of New York. She identifies as a femme lesbian and is invested in empowering and educating LBGTQ+ and GE youth. She’s a second-gen Afro-Latina and a writer, artist, and LGBTQ+ advocate. Her ultimate goal is incorporating LGBTQ+ history into NYC’s middle/high school curriculum.
Toby is a Sophomore majoring in Psychology at CCNY. He was born and raised in the city to two Irish Immigrant parents, making him first generation. Toby wanted to continue his studies here to engage with the incredible psychology program at CCNY. He is interested in art and animation as hobbies and wants to pursue a career in mental health counseling, especially for LGBTQ+ youth.
Toby grew up queer with a supportive family, and despite being in the diverse New York City he found there were many hardships. He is passionate that his future stems from helping people like him guide, have a mentor, and have someone who gets it.
The City University of New York as the nation’s largest public university has been a driving force for equal access and economic opportunity since 1847. Our colleges, graduate, and professional institutions are comprised of students, faculty, staff, and allies that reflect the wealth of experiences, backgrounds, cultures, and diversity that define New York City. The David Mixner Fellowship is an opportunity to activate and invest in CUNY students and New York City’s LGBTQ+ community.
In June 2021, CUNY School of Law alum Jose Abrigo spoke with David Mixner to hear first-hand about his activism, career, movement building, and his hopes for the future.
David Mixner is an advocate and political organizer for LGBTQ2IA+ rights and a prominent leader international human rights and American politics. For over 40 years, he has led efforts to prevent and fight HIV/AIDS in the United States and improve access, prevention, and treatment across the globe. As executive producer of House on Fire, he documented the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the African American community. Mixner has raised over $30M for not-for-profit organizations and candidates running for political office, including over $1M for openly gay and lesbian candidates. Mixner’s papers and correspondence as a peace and civil rights activist from the Vietnam War to the AIDS Crisis to his participation in political campaigns are housed at the Larry Kramer Initiative for Lesbian and Gay Studies at Yale University. He has co-written several screenplays: Dunes of Overveen (with Richard Burns) and Fire in the Soul and Jacob’s Ladder (with Dennis Bailey). He writes for Time, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and The Advocate, among other publications.
This project is in partnership with Mitchell Draizin, President of the CUNY LGBT Advisory Council, along with its 100+ members who aspire to connect CUNY students to New York City’s tremendous resources and opportunities for LGBTQ+ students and their allies. It is affiliated with the CUNY LGBTQI Student Leadership Program.
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