Don’t Give Up! — Executive Director & CEO of Point Foundation, Jorge Valencia
By Executive Director & CEO of Point Foundation, Jorge Valencia
Name and Pronouns:
My name is Jorge Valencia and I use he/him pronouns.
What you wanted to be when you were a teenager:
When I was a teenager, I fell in love with theater and wanted to be an actor. Or trial lawyer — figuring I could utilize my theater background to convince a jury.
What you do now:
I am currently the Executive Director & CEO of Point Foundation, the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ individuals.
What you’re most proud of:
I am most proud of having finally figured out what makes me happy in life — family, community, and service.
3 words that describe your teenage self:
As a teenager, I would describe myself as insecure, awkward, and a hopeless dreamer.
3 words that describe you now:
Today, I feel more confident, fulfilled, and grateful for a life I never thought possible.
What you would tell your teenage self:
If I could share some words of encouragement to my teenage self, they’d be “You will be a part of a HUGE and LOVING community of diverse individuals who want to support you, your dreams, and desires to live authentically — don’t give up!”
What you wish you knew about coming out that you know now:
I was so nervous to come out. If only I’d known earlier, what I know now: that coming out would lift a huge weight off my shoulders — a weight made of guilt, self-hate, and doubt.
What you wish you could have done differently as a teenager:
I wish I’d come out to my friends and family as a teenager. I feel that I lost a lot of time pleasing others, rather than living my own life.
What you love most about being a part of the LGBTQ+ community:
This is what I love most about being a part of the LGBTQ+ community…EVERYTHING — the enormous talent, the humor, the diversity, the dream yet to be fulfilled, and the privilege of fighting alongside my community for equality and visibility!
Person you most admire:
The person I most admire is my mother. As the oldest of 11 children, she sacrificed her dreams to help raise her siblings, then raise her children, and now, in her 80’s supports her ailing husband. She’s a role model for serving others and for valuing family/loved ones above all treasures.
If you could change one thing about the world, you would:
While there are many things I wish I could change about our world, the one thing I would prioritize and eliminate today, would be hunger.
What inspires you now:
I am inspired by so much and so many. But seeing people exhibit kindness to others fills my heart. I go out of my way to watch videos of kindness and love exhibited toward people and animals to remind me to follow their example.
About the Series
What I Know Now is a series on Matthew’s Place where adult members of the LGBTQ+ community write reflections on their lives and stories. Through this series we empower our young readers who learn valuable lessons from these queer role models.
