Students and young adult leaders across the country are making change, speaking out and taking the reins of leadership on their campuses and in their communities. Campus Pride honors two youth who are doing just this—Katherine Barnes and Mark Travis Rivera—as this year’s recipients of the Campus Pride Voice & Action National Leadership Award!

In partnership with OUTmedia, the Campus Pride Voice and Action Student Leader Award is an honorary recognition highlighting the outstanding accomplishments of young adult leaders at colleges and universities across the United States. The award, the only of its kind, is bestowed upon undergraduate students who use their “voice” to speak up and take “action” to create change for LGBT and ally issues within their campuses, local communities and regions. The award also acknowledges the vital role that young adult leaders currently play in the national LGBT movement and recognizes their importance to the future of equality.

“The talent and commitment to the movement shown by all the applicants is the reason Campus Pride developed this national honor,” said Voice & Action Award Committee Chair Christopher Bylone. “These two students have gone above the call of duty expected of any student leader in our movement.”

Campus Pride congratulates this year’s recipients:

Katherine “Katie” Barnes, St. Olaf College (’13), is a triple major in History, Russian Studies, and American Studies. Currently she serves as the President of St. Olaf Queer Support & Outreach Honor House and worked to help defeat the proposed anti-marriage equality amendment in the state of Minnesota.

Mark Travis Rivera, William Paterson University (’15), is a dual major in Print Journalism and Women’s & Gender Studies. He served as President of CHOSEN: the Gender & Sexuality Alliance and is the Founder and Artistic Director of marked dance project.

Barnes will be honored with the award at the Midwest BGLTA College Conference at Michigan State University from February 8 to February 10, 2013. Rivera will be honored with the award at the Northeast LGBT Conference at Rochester Institute of Technology from April 12 to April 14, 2013. Each of the students also receives a free artist, speaker or entertainer of their choice, courtesy of OUTmedia, to appear on their college campuses in 2013. Read more about Mark and Katie on the Voice & Action Student Leader Awards page.

Barnes and Rivera were chosen from the Top 10 Leaders in Action announced earlier this year. They included: Annie Pigaga, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Cat Miller, University of Tennessee at Knoxville; Connor Norton, Old Dominion University; Jeffrey Stephen Wan You Sew, Pratt Institute; Kari Jo Freudigmann, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; Katherine Barnes, St. Olaf College; Mark Labadorf, Tulane University; Mark Rivera, William Paterson University; Rebecca Kern, La Sierra University; and Sara Beth Brooks, Sacramento City College.

Next week, Campus Pride will announce the first recipient of the Voice & Action Advisor Award. The Voice and Action Advisor Award is presented to professionals who work with undergraduate students from colleges and universities as well as communities across the country. Campus Pride recognizes the outstanding contributions of theses dedicated professionals and the indelible impact that their efforts have on student leaders in the LGBT and ally movement for equality. The annual award is presented in partnership with ACPA – College Student Educators International.