The Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the financial backing of individual donors, has collaborated with the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) to select, announce and distribute major secular student activism awards for 2025.

FFRF is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Al Luneman Student Activist Award are Dustin, Ava and Rafael, who each received $1,000. Additionally, the Cliff Richards Memorial Student Activist Award winners of scholarships reserved specifically for freethinking students going to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are Sariyah and Donte, who each received $1,000. SSA annually publicizes some of FFRF’s specific student scholarships, along with those of other groups and individuals, provides applicant information, and vets the chosen students, which FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor praises as a “wonderful service to FFRF, other donors and students.” As per SSA policy, only students’ first names are used to protect their identities.

Al Luneman Student Activist Award

Rafael, Western Illinois University
Rafael is a student at Western Illinois University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Physics, graduating in July 2026. He previously earned an Associate of Science from Moraine Valley Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Illinois Springfield. His academic goals include earning a Ph.D. in physics and a master’s in engineering. He plans to pursue a career as a researcher and instructor at a government institution while serving as a commissioned officer in the U.S. military. Long term, he hopes to run for the school board and local office to defend secular values and protect students’ First Amendment rights.

Rafael identifies as agnostic, a conviction he embraced at 19 after questioning his Roman Catholic upbringing. Influenced by authors such as Carl Sagan and Dan Brown, he began a process of deconstruction that led to living authentically without religion. He now openly identifies as a nonreligious and is a gay soldier in the U.S. Army National Guard, recognizing the importance of visibility in traditionally Christian-normative environments.

As a first-generation Mexican American and gay man, Rafael understands the tensions that arise when religious traditions dominate cultural expectations. Rafael has been deeply engaged in secular activism, co-founding an SSA chapter at the University of Illinois Springfield and organizing discussions on queer and nonreligious identities. At Western Illinois University, he revitalized the SSA chapter, represented the school at Secular Spring Break, and served as treasurer of Unity, WIU’s oldest LGBTQ+ organization. Looking ahead, he plans to secure official recognition for WIU SSA, expand programming with events like Graveyard of the Gods and a Winter Solstice celebration, and grow student participation in national projects. His activism and academic pursuits reflect a dedication to critical inquiry, community building, and the defense of secular values.

FFRF thanks member Al Luneman for making these scholarships possible.

For more information about this year’s scholarships and student recipients, go to: secularstudents.org/scholarships/2025-recipients

FFRF has a variety of scholarships available to give directly to students for exceptional activism. If you know of any student who is actively helping to uphold state/church separation or fighting for the rights of nonbelievers, please use the form at ffrf.us/nominate.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.