How GLSEN Impacted My Journey

Last September, I started working at GLSEN as an MSW intern in the Education and Youth Programs department. I graduated from NYU in May and was excited to continue working here this summer to assist in creating new resources for students this year! As today is my last day with GLSEN, I thought it would be fitting to reflect on my time here and wrap things up in a blog since I started my internship last year by writing a blog.

I came into social work because of the broad range of work you can do around social issues, but I wasn't sure exactly how I saw myself fitting into this work. At my previous internship, I worked one-on-one with youth and in groups, and really loved working with people directly. However, I felt really frustrated by the macro level issues and systems that I started to realize my clients were up against. I came to GLSEN eager to work on these larger issues, but I didn't know how to do that yet exactly, and I wasn't sure what to expect during the next year.

Jumping into a completely macro-level field placement, I learned all kinds of ways to create change within existing systems and structures. There were really awesome opportunities here. I developed my skills in creating tools and resources for students and Chapters to transform their schools, and I got to be involved with the development of GLSEN's programs as well as planning campaigns. I even got to do some research stuff here, which involved coding and analyzing data from GLSEN’s GSA Census - for me, that was one of the coolest things I could ever do!

But what I also learned at GLSEN is what it’s like to work in a space that’s really trans-affirming, which fortunately coincided perfectly with a time in my life where I really needed that sort of space. When I came here, I had recently started to understand my own non-binary gender, which was sometimes a hard journey to be on when the majority of people and spaces don’t create room for you to be yourself. But people at GLSEN didn't make assumptions about my gender, and I didn't experience dysphoria or anxiety from how the physical space was set up, from things like gendered bathrooms since GLSEN made sure they had an all gender bathroom in the office. My first day here, more people than I can count asked my pronouns, and everyone respected my process and checked in about pronouns sometimes and it wasn't a big deal. I could come to work and focus on the things I needed to do since the work environment gave me room to be me.

Now, I have a deeper understanding of the systems and issues people face, and how to make things better now as we all work together towards a future where these issues don’t even exist. As I continue on my journey, I’ve decided to combine my clinical and macro level skills and experiences in a position where I’ll be working directly with youth in NYC. Being able to be in a space like GLSEN, where no assumptions were made and I felt safe, I’m now inspired and excited to create that space in my new role. I know that if I can help one youth feel like they are able to truly be themselves, then I know I’m doing my job in breaking down those big macro issues many trans and gender nonconforming youth face in society today. Just over a year after starting my journey here, I feel prepared, grounded, and excited about this next chapter, and will carry with me not only the skills I learned at GLSEN, but the values and the mission in everything I do!