New GLSEN Intern: Cows. NYU. RuPaul!

Cows. NYU. RuPaul. What do these three things have in common? If you guessed GLSEN’s new Education and Youth Programs intern, then you would be correct! *ding ding ding* 

Hi, I’m Alyx, a junior at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work. Originally, I’m from the great state of Montana, where (fun fact!) there are more cows than people. I really appreciated the opportunity to experience the highs and lows of being a young gay person living in a rural small town. Even with the many challenges of having to overcome isolation, ignorance, and prejudice within parts of my community, I also was able to benefit from the positive connections and encouragement from my many adult and peer supporters. Being one of the few openly out students in my school and neighboring areas, I was given the opportunity to educate members of my community about best practices of how to support and empower young queer people to thrive while also living authentically. This involvement in education and advocacy directed me towards my current pursuits in the field of social work. 

Now attending NYU, I have had amazing opportunities to work for LGBTQ serving organizations such as The Trevor Project, The Hetrick-Martin Institute, and now GLSEN. My current professional plans includes attending graduate school to receive my master’s in social work with specializations in working with LGBTQ populations, sexual health work, and clinically focused practice. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to be the newest member of team GLSEN! I understand firsthand the importance of their work and am excited to continue to learn, grow, and contribute to the improvement of LGBTQ lives. 

Oh. And what about RuPaul?  She is just a fierce queen and one of my many role models. Others inspirations include Harvey Milk, Kurt Hummel, Olivia Pope, and my mother. I try to live my life by their example to become the most empathic and effective advocate for the socially oppressed as possible.