Students reflect on the ‘pride of progress’ and the Gender & LGBTQIA Center – Elon University
By Michaela Zeno, staff
May 12, 2025
Read a Q&A with three members of the Class of 2025 preparing to graduate who share how the Gender & LGBTQIA Center nurtured their resilience, leadership, and advocacy throughout their college journeys.
Among the first programs held each commencement season at Elon University is the Lavender Graduation Celebration, a public event hosted by the Gender and LGBTQIA Center that recognizes the achievements of seniors whose presence and work with the LGBTQIA community nurtured an inclusive campus culture.
In the lead-up to the 2025 celebration, three graduating seniors answered questions from the Division of Inclusive Excellence and the Office of University Communications about their personal and professional growth at Elon University.
They also shared how the Gender & LGBTQIA Center helped them embrace their identities while developing lifelong leadership skills.
These are the stories of their journey.
Q: When did you realize your identity and how has that changed you?
A: “I was 14 and living in South Florida, which was difficult. Coming to Elon as a whole, not just with the Gender & LGBTQIA Center, but the community I’ve made, has made me appreciate being a part of the LGBTQIA community as something that I am proud of.”
Q: What was something you learned from the Gender & LGBTQIA Center that you didn’t already know?
A: “Before I came to Elon, I had never met a queer person over the age of 18. Seeing adults in the Gender & LGBTQIA Center live their lives was powerful for me, seeing what my future can look like as a queer person.”
Q: Did the Gender & LGBTQIA Center have an impact on what you want to do in the future?
A: “I want to work with queer people in their life transition from teenager to adulthood. It’s a unique experience for queer people, finding your space, and I think the Gender & LGBTQIA Center has great resources to facilitate that for people. That inspires me.”
Q: What is your biggest takeaway from the Gender & LGBTQIA Center?
A: “I feel grateful that Elon has done a good job with bias reporting and protecting students through the work of the Gender & LGBTQIA Center. And I’ve learned that change takes time. Since the GLC started, there has been so much change … and students benefit more and more.”
Q: Tell me about your Elon experience?
A: “My Elon experience has been primarily about inward exploration. I made it a goal to acquire new skills and understanding about the things I was passionate about, and through my work at the Gender & LGBTQIA Center and my experiences around campus, I have absolutely done so.”
Q: Tell me about how the Gender & LGBTQIA Center shaped your experience and you as a person?
A: “Working at the Gender & LGBTQIA Center has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have been able to grow and stretch myself beyond what I first thought was possible. Planning events, interacting with students and helping them, and just being a voice for others are all valuable experiences that I would not change for the world.”
Q: When did you realize your identity and how has that changed you?
A: “I realized my identity back in middle school and had been on the road to acceptance about it all the way up until getting into Elon. I often struggled with the validity of my sexuality, wondering if I was confused or somehow deluding myself for attention, and it took a long time to overcome those doubts. Now I am proud to be myself, authentically and wholeheartedly.”
Q: What was something you learned from the Gender & LGBTQIA Center that you didn’t already know?
A: “I learned just how many ways there are to care for a community. We have worked on spreading information, resources and opportunities for gathering around various topics like queer and transgender identities, sexual assault, domestic abuse, stalking and intersectionality with BIPOC communities.”
Q: Tell me about how the Gender & LGBTQIA Center shaped your experience and you as a person?
A: “Working at the Center for Leadership, we often had partnerships with the Gender & LGBTQIA Center, and that’s how I got introduced. I would also attend events such as Spring Pride or Dragstravaganza, and it was comforting coming to Elon knowing that there was a space where people were there to support me, especially because I came from a very conservative area.”
Q: When did you realize your identity and how has that changed you?
A: “Growing up in the small town that I did, most people were not accepting, but my family and a few friends were very supportive when I came out. Over the past four years, I have grown to be a lot more comfortable with who I am, and Elon has been a very positive space for me to be able to live my life authentically.”
Q: Did the Gender & LGBTQIA Center have an impact on what you want to do in the future?
A: “I want to go into higher education after graduation and eventually work in an LGBTQ+ center, like what Luis Garay is doing. Overall, I want to help the community in any space that I am in and take what I’ve learned from Elon to make an impact, no matter what direction I take in my career.”
Q: What is your biggest takeaway from the Gender & LGBTQIA Center?
A: “There are always places where there is support for your identity, where people are going to help you, watch out for you, and can give you advice and resources. The Gender & LGBTQIA Center has shown me that support is everywhere. No matter where you are, you’re not alone.”
Student Experience
Center for Leadership Gender & LGBTQIA Center Inclusive Excellence at Elon Student Life
People in this article:
Luis Garay
Director of the Gender and LGBTQIA Center
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Read a Q&A with three members of the Class of 2025 preparing to graduate who share how the Gender & LGBTQIA Center nurtured their resilience, leadership, and advocacy throughout their college journeys.
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