Bard College Student Wins Inaugural GLAAD Rising Star Grant
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—Bard College student C Mandler has won an inaugural GLAAD Rising Star Grant. The GLAAD Rising Stars program, presented by Delta Airlines, Coca Cola Company, and Barilla Group, empowers and invests in the next generation of LGBTQ change makers, whose advocacy is changing their local communities and the culture at large. Grants are awarded annually to LGBTQ youth and support initiatives that champion intersectional LGBTQ issues, including racial justice, immigration rights, trans equality, and more. All recipients will be recognized at the Rising Stars Luncheons taking place at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on March 31 and the Hilton in New York City on May 5.The Rising Stars Luncheon will be hosted by Hannah Hart with presenters Troye Sivan, Victoria Justice, Alexandra Grey, and Gigi Gorgeous, and featuring special appearances by Harmony Santana, Isabella Gomez, Angelica Ross, Zoey Luna, Elliot Fletcher, Cetine Dale, Jacob Tobia, Trevor Moran and Bobby Brooks, all of whom are notable for their contributions to LGBTQ visibility and fair representation in the media.
Recipients of GLAAD Rising Stars Grants will also attend the 28th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City and Los Angeles, which honor media for fair and accurate representations of LGBTQ people and the issues that impact their lives. glaad.org/risingstars
C Mandler is a junior double majoring in philosophy and written arts at Bard College. They run a campus DIY music venue called the Root Cellar, sing in their school’s sole a cappella group, and work as an Event Coordinator at the Difference and Media Project. They recently presented at Princeton University’s Compass Philosophy Workshop, which was specifically held for women, non-binary, and trans people in philosophy, and are in the process of self-publishing their third book of poetry. C will use their role as a Rising Stars Grant recipient to continue to bring queer and trans musicians of color to Bard to perform, lecture, and workshop with students and faculty on campus and beyond.
Website: https://www.glaad.org/risingstars
Recent Press Releases:
- Bard College Student Jessica Zoll ’26 Receives Fund for Education Abroad Spring 2025 Scholarship
- Bard College and Russian Independent Media Archive Announce Inaugural Fellowship Recipients
- Gridthiya Gaweewong Selected as 2025 Recipient of Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence
- Bard College Conservatory of Music Presents “Come Out of the Cold: A Winter Cabaret” Featuring Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo on December 20