Farris S. Email & Phone Number

My Top 5 CliftonStrengths: Strategic, Connectedness, Activator, Input, IntellectionGrowing up as a queer kid in South Carolina, I could scarcely imagine a future for myself. To find my way forward, I found people who imagined a better world. Where these communities didn't exist, I organized them. My experience in nonprofit advocacy and program management provides professional spaces for me to live my organizing values. I follow the lead of the folks closest to the problem and pain of any political issue; my work ethic reflects my deep commitment to self-determination and power-sharing. I love working in supportive roles where my natural administrative and problem-solving skills can help empower others, streamline programs, and build organizational capacity.My skill set is that of a builder: I am eager to create new programs, teams, and relationships. I am most energized and successful when I find myself in uncharted territory. I never shy from a challenge, and I'm always ready to roll up my sleeves to see the work through.In my work with both public education advocacy and queer care nonprofits, I have been tasked with stepping into the unknown as I built programs that could meet the precarity of the current political moment. Public education has become ground zero for the next culture war, so I created advocacy trainings to equip folks with new tools to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline, teach the truth about American history, and build solidarity among classroom families and educators. Trans lives are threatened daily by the legislature in my home state, in response I created programming for trans and nonbinary youth, initiated a free Health & Wellness program for LGBTQ+ folks, and expanded a financial assistance program that could offer free Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy for an entire year. My experience in restaurant operations equipped me with the skills necessary to excel in fast-paced, ever-changing environments, prioritize matters of urgency, and generate efficient workflow solutions. In my work as a writer, I've proved my communication, teaching, and editing skills. From proofreading resources, creating alongside communications teams, and communicating complex initiatives with stakeholders, my command of language has allowed me to be an excellent utility player on every team I've served on.Currently, I serve as the Education Programs Associate at GLSEN where my work centers around providing support for LGBTQ-supportive educators.

Listed skills include Community Outreach, Student Leadership, Public Speaking, Research, and 6 others.