The Markowski-Leach Scholarship fund was established as a result of the vision of Tom Markowski and Jim Leach. They "wanted to make a difference" and felt that, at that time, there was a dearth of positive role models for gays and lesbians. This became the defining theme of the scholarships: to assist in the education of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people who would then have an impact on other LGBTQ people through their works. Applicants must self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer and exemplify excellence in their life and demonstrate promise for becoming a positive role model for other LGBTQ people. They must be accepted into one of the following universities for the academic year in which the grant will be awarded: San Francisco State University, Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, University of California, San Francisco, or University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Students applying to or transferring into one of these Universities are encouraged to apply, even if their application has not yet been accepted. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.