A New Intern at GLSEN!

Hello humans!  I’m Melissa, the new Communications Intern, and I am super thrilled to be here at GLSEN!

I am a senior at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey with majors in both Psychology and Sociology, as well as minors in Criminal Justice and Gender Studies, and I will be graduating this August.  My time at Monmouth was packed with amazing experiences, both personal and academic, and has shaped my perspective and really opened my eyes. Academically, I completed two senior theses this past year in both Psychology and Sociology on media representation of bisexuality and the influence of positive bisexual role models on the acceptance of bisexuality.  I also worked as a Resident Assistant for two years and a Head Resident Assistant for one year, worked for the “Phonathon” raising money for the University all four years as a Hawk Caller and then a Hawk Caller Supervisor, and I was President of ALI (the on-campus LGBTQ+, straight alliance) for the last two years.

I am extremely passionate when it comes to advocating for equality for people of all sexual orientations and gender expressions, so it angered me when I saw ALI at Monmouth University dwindle down to a mere two or three members at the beginning of my junior year.  The remaining members and I decided the club was too important to see burn out, and so we did everything we could to spark the fire again.  I served as President that year as well as the following year, and am proud to say ALI is burning bright again.  We got our name out there every way we could: ALI t-shirts, rainbow buttons with the Monmouth “M”, a rainbow ALI tablecloth, held new and bigger events, co-sponsored every event that would have us, made a Facebook page, and went for bigger and better advertising for our events and the club itself.   By this past May, our roster had nearly 50 members and we had a fully functioning, elected E-board for the first time in years.

While I loved Monmouth and I am proud of what I have accomplished there in four years, I am excited to begin a new chapter here at GLSEN and gain experience alongside such a wonderful department.   When I was looking for an internship, I knew I wanted to do something with LGBTQ+ rights, as well as learn more about media and communications after studying media in depth my senior year.  The moment I saw the posting for a Communications intern here at GLSEN, knowing it was just what I was looking for, I immediately applied.

I am hoping to bring a new perspective to GLSEN while developing my skill set in Communications in areas I have yet to tackle throughout my experiences.  I definitely think I can get that here.  After just two days at the internship, the passion and drive pushing each member of GLSEN’s team is apparent and the work being accomplished is so important, and it is all so very inspiring. I am a firm believer in working in a field you are passionate about, and it is amazing to be surrounded by so many people who are doing just that.  I cannot wait to see what lies ahead.