Brandon with Shane Windmeyer, Campus Pride Executive Director, at ACPA 2013

Behind every great student leader creating positive change on their campus is an advisor guiding, educating, nurturing, and empowering them along the way. Campus Pride celebrates the work of these advisors and especially our winner of the inaugural Voice and Action Advisor Award: Brandon Haddock, the Student Services Coordinator at the LGBT Resource Center at Kansas State University.

The Voice and Action National Advisor Award is presented to professionals who work with undergraduate students from colleges and universities across the country. Campus Pride recognizes the outstanding contributions of these dedicated professionals and the indelible impact that their efforts have on student leaders in the LGBT and ally movement. The annual award is presented in partnership with the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) – College Student Educators International, the leading comprehensive student affairs organization in the country.

“Campus Pride is thrilled to partner with ACPA and honor advisors like Brandon for their invaluable work and support of LGBT and ally student leaders,” said Shane Windmeyer, the Executive Director of Campus Pride. “Brandon embodies Campus Pride’s mission to create safer, more inclusive campuses for LGBT students, as reflected in the comments of the students who nominated him for this award. We are excited to honor Brandon and Kansas State with this inaugural award and look forward to recognizing other excellent advisors in the future.”

Students submitted nominations for the Voice and Action National Advisor Award until the end of November. Caleb Guesser of Delta Lambda Phi at Kansas State University nominated Brandon, writing, “As the LGBT Resource Center coordinator, Brandon has definitely been there in a mentor role. He is always there to give you advice or solve problems, whatever it is: school, relationships or other LGBT related issues around our campus.”

Advisors also submitted a letter of support from a student leader, Brandon’s letter of support came from Simone Dorsey, the President of Kansas State University LGBT and Allies. Simone wrote, “Brandon’s heart is always in the right place and his nomination for this award is well fitting. His relentless motivation to continually encourage and assist any and all students that he encounters is heartwarming and necessary in the environment of Kansas. It is difficult to find an accepting leader on K-State’s campus, so to some, Brandon is a gift.”

“Simone’s statement is one of the very reasons we created this award,” said Christopher Bylone, Chair of the Voice and Action Committee. “We understand that there are professionals who go above and beyond the call of duty for students on a daily basis, and we wanted to recognize the tireless efforts of professionals like Brandon in supporting LGBT and ally student leaders.”

Brandon received a complimentary registration to the 2013 ACPA Annual Convention as part of his award and will be honored during the LGBT Professional Academy for Advisors at Camp Pride this July 16-21, 2013.  He will also be a featured guest speaker and educator-in-residence during Camp Pride.

To learn more about the Campus Pride Voice & Action National Award program, please go online to www.CampusPride.org/VoiceandAction.  Nominate your outstanding LGBT and ally advisor for next year and also learn about the other Voice and Action award honors.