High school Program for Transgender Students of Color

you don’t start over; you restart where you stopped

pick up where you pressed pause

78% of transgender students report harsh harassment in school, 50% report experiencing homelessness and 15% of transgender students leave school due to extreme harassment. These numbers are higher for transgender students of color.

In 2018, Dr. Mabry, founder of Tiers Free Academy, learned about the story of two young lesbians in rural Georgia who were pushed out of school after coming out; and, she was determined to do something to help.

That something included applying for a Community Reinvestment Grant through the Atlanta Pride Committee. With the initial grant of $2,500, Dr. Mabry started the Thrive with Pride program and mentored two students on their journey for a high school diploma. One graduate is now in the police academy and the other is working full time at a doctor’s office and started South Georgia Technical College in the Fall 2020 semester.

The Thrive with Pride Program continues to receive support from the Community Reinvestment Grant from the Atlanta Pride Committee. In addition, the Georgia Stonewall Bar Association awarded Dr. Mabry’s foundation with a Stonewall Racial Justice Grant to support 30 transgender students of color with completing their classes to obtain a high school diploma. The new program is called the “Stonewall Scholars”.

Dr. Mabry firmly believes every LGBTQ student deserves the opportunity to obtain a high school diploma. If you identify yourself as a transgender person of color and wish to complete your high school education, you are invited and encouraged to contact Tiers Free Academy to become a Stonewall Scholar.