I’m working towards my Master’s degree in Educational Studies with a blended concentration in Higher Education Administration and Foundations of Education and Social Change. With this degree, I am going to work to improve the accessibility of college environments to benefit all students, with an emphasis on those most marginalized.Throughout my undergraduate career in Gender Studies and Sociology, I engaged with new ideas that challenged me in exciting ways, and I met professors and peers who helped me grow into the educator, researcher, and compassionate human being I am today. Along with three of my peers and our mentor, I co-created and taught a 3000-level course on queer representation in media. Our mentor stoked the spark of personal interest into a roaring flame. Through her support, we gained valuable skills like how to lecture and lead classroom discussions, and we got to facilitate meaningful dialogue with our gender studies classmates about one of our greatest passions. Through my honors thesis work on the sociohistorical development of the word ‘queer’, I was able to explore a topic I was interested in and run with it for a year and a half. While working on my thesis, I learned the necessary skills to sustain a research marathon and what it feels like to finally cross the finish line. My college experience was absolutely transformative, and I believe that this experience should be available to all who want it. In my work as the School Programs Coordinator at the Utah Pride Center, I saw the dire need for services that directly address the needs of marginalized students, specifically LGBTQ+ students. I helped students, educators, and parents navigate K-12 schools while being LGBTQ+ and/or advocating for LGBTQ+ students. I created resources for Gender and Sexuality Alliances, co-led a hybrid networking/support group for educators, and organized a conference for educators and GSA leaders. Working at the intersection of education and LGBTQ+ youth advocacy really brought into focus for me how crucial it is to have someone advocating for your needs when navigating a system that wasn’t built for you. I want to continue my advocacy at the collegiate level, and work for students with disabilities and mental health concerns, first generation college students, and students of color, among innumerous other groups that are often pushed to the margins of education.If you’re interested in extending the power of education and making higher ed more accessible for marginalized communities, please feel free to send me a message. I would love to talk.