KarMel Scholarship
| Congratulations to the 2012 Winners! |
| Best Artistic Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Transgender Themed Work ($400) |
| 2012 Runner-Up & Special Awards |
| Due to the outstanding quality of the submissions we received, additional awards were presented. Let's congratulate these winners as well! Click links below to view submissions. |
| "What Love Really Means" (Drawing) Jordan Baum - CA |
| Melody's Favorites - Artistic ($75) |
| Karen's Favorites - Artistic ($75) |
| Runner Up - Written ($100 each) |
| Runner Up - Artistic ($100 each) |
| Last Updated May 2012 |
| "They Don't See Me" (Poem) Kiara Schaffer - WA Description: "This poem is about a person struggling to accept and reveal who they truly are. It is about the fear, doubt, and second thoughts that come along with coming out to the people you care about.." - Kiara Click here to read more. |
| "Religion Kills Homosexuality" (Poem) Meriani Babatope - TX Description: "It’s a poem i wrote about my opinion about Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Transgender from my religion's point of view." - Meriani Click here to read more. |
| "Be Yourself" (Fictional Story) Anonymous |
| Special Judges' Award ($100) |
| All works on this website belong solely to the authors and artists who created them. Do not use or reproduce anything without permission from the KarMel Scholarship. |
| Description: "This is a story of a parent with a child who does a bit of gender exploration. I wanted to write a story where a gender-variant child could be seen as normal, even accepted, by other people, and I wanted to show that gender doesn't really have to matter as much as some people think it does." - Anonymous An excerpt: On the first day, the parent sat down with the child to speak of important matters of growing up. The parent said to the child, "I just want you to know that it's okay to be whoever you want. Remember how you said you liked the color yellow yesterday, and I said it wasn't my favorite? And how I said I liked red, like they have on fire trucks and you said you didn't like it at all. That's okay. No matter whether you like yellow or red, or whether you like peas or carrots, or even whether you're a boy or a girl, I will still love you. " "Okay. But why?" "Because it's important for you to be yourself. And as you get older, you have to figure out who you are and what you like. I can't decide that for you. And if I tried to make you eat peas for the rest of your life, you wouldn't like it would you?" ::::: Click to read more. |
| Best Written Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Transgender Themed Work ($300) |
| 2012 Honorable Mention Awards |
This year we decided to award honorable mention awards by media and subject. We wanted to showcase the best of the best!
| "Learning From Each Other" (Personal Story) Anonymous Description: "The struggles a mother faces when her daughter comes out, and the struggles/loss they both feel." -Anonymous Click to read more. |
Best Drawing ($50):
"Love Comes in Different Colors" by Karina
Espino - TX
"Acceptance" by Hannah Cascio
"Love Comes in Different Colors" by Karina
Espino - TX
"Acceptance" by Hannah Cascio
Best Fictional Story ($50):
"More than Meets the Eye" by Holly Allen - CA
"An Uncertain Love" by Wei Cho - CA
"More than Meets the Eye" by Holly Allen - CA
"An Uncertain Love" by Wei Cho - CA
Best Speech ($50):
"What Can the America of Yesterday Teach the
America of Tomorrow?" by Michael Barahura - CA
"What Can the America of Yesterday Teach the
America of Tomorrow?" by Michael Barahura - CA
A "Gay, Lesbian, Bi and Transgender" Themed Scholarship
| By Media |
| By Subject |
| "We were truly amazed at the quality and creativity put forth by all the applicants this year. We awarded a total of $2,800. Come view the wonderful submissions we received! Enjoy!" - Karen and Melody (February 2013) |
| Comments, feedback or questions? Please email us at: karmelscholarship@gmail.com |
| 2013 KarMel Scholarship Information |
| Check back in October 2013 for the 2013 Scholarship information and application. Deadline will be March 31, 2014. |
| See submissions from previous years of the scholarship. |
| "Crayola Marked Hands - A Flashback" (poem) Description: "This is a poem I wrote about an incident that happend to me relating to my sexuality. The memory hit me hard and made me realize how proud I am of my journey to self acceptance." - Danielle Click to read more. |
| "Love Conquers All" (drawing) Description: "This piece is inspired by all the positive changes in the LBGT community - especially relating to marriage equality. The haiku represents my love of haiku as I have embarked on a 365 Day Haiku challenge..This is the time of love." - Danielle Click to view larger image. |
| Description: "This work was made entirely of words, every line, shade and tiny detail is a word to represent equality and love in the LGBT community, more specifically lesbians, the words include: Equality, NOH8, Pride, Happiness, Love, Freedom, Undying, Passion, Cuteness and Lesbians. The drawing features a happy and in love lesbian couple to represent how happy and amazing love is." - Jordan Click to read more and view larger image. |
| "Or So You Hope" (Fictional Story) Victoria Ciampa - MA Description: "A three part story originally written as a fan fiction, revealing the internal feelings of two best friends after one declares their love for the other, based partially off of my own experiences." - Victoria Click to read more. |
| "Transition" (Drawing) Lauren Sitterly - NY Description: "A computer drawing patterned after the caveman evolution timeline documenting my transition from female to male." - Lauren Click to view larger Image. |
| "Catharsis & Misery" (Painting) Michelle Reed - NC Description: "This oil painting represents one of the truest experiences in my life; my first relationship after coming out. The pain, the triumph, the regret, and the love exemplified through this work culminated in a way that allowed me to become fully aware of what it is to live. I painted this during a tumultuous separation with my previous girlfriend. She's touched me deeply, and I wanted to glorify our experience with a painting of our most peaceful, innocent moment, which stood in stark contrast to the struggles and hurt we were currently enduring since that time. I was able to escape into that moment through this painting, so it also served as a release for me. As you might be able to tell, the painting remains unfinished...and over time I've come to accept that as serendipitous symbolism. We both have moved on, miles and years apart, but I don't believe the memories, both experimental and emotional, will ever completely part from my being. Here's to EVERYONE with the courage to love and to continue to love. " - Michelle Click to view larger image. |
| "Love Know No Gender" (Personal Story) Courtney Neale - WI Description: "This is a personal piece about my boyfriend coming out to me. It deals with our relationship and the important lessons about life and love that I learned from it." - Courtney Click to read more. |
Best Coming Out ($50):
"My Secret" by Dominique Curry -AL
"My Secret" by Dominique Curry -AL
Best Gay Pride ($50):
"Haircut: a personal release " by Briana Vladerrey
- NC
"Haircut: a personal release " by Briana Vladerrey
- NC
| Melody's Favorite - Written ($75) |
Most Unique ($50):
"Love's Pretty Sweet" by Brianna Blair - NC
"Love is Love" by Angelica Hernandez
"Love's Pretty Sweet" by Brianna Blair - NC
"Love is Love" by Angelica Hernandez
| Karen's Favorite - Written ($75) |
| "Duel" (Drawing) Anonymous Description: ".Same beliefs and principles and yet having two completely opposite actions result. Who’s the hypocrite?" - Anonymous Click here to read more and view larger image. |
| "Love is Blind" (Song) Paige Koehler - NJ Description: " wrote this song after my best friend of 17 years came out to me. This song is to show her that she can love whoever she wants and I will always be right by her side because after all love is blind" - Paige Click here to read more and download song. |
Best Love ($50):
"Touch" by Emily Hayes - CA
"The Beautiful Friend" by Lauren Nowell - TX
"Touch" by Emily Hayes - CA
"The Beautiful Friend" by Lauren Nowell - TX
Best Same-Sex Marriage ($50):
"The Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage " by
Rhonda Elwess
"The Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage " by
Rhonda Elwess
