Campus Pride Advisory Board members selected for 2016 from thirteen campuses across the country

Members of the advisory board represent thirteen colleges and universities from across the nation and are tasked with supporting students of higher education with opportunities to increase their knowledge of Campus Pride and the LGBTQ Community

Campus Pride has officially selected members for the Campus Pride Advisory Board. The Campus Pride Advisory Board focuses on providing direction to the organization, feedback on programs as well as involvement opportunities and fundraising. The president and vice president of the advisory board also serve as full members of the Campus Pride Board of Directors.

“The Campus Pride Advisory Board is uniquely intended to provide a voice and active leadership for and by our LGBTQ youth,” said Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director of Campus Pride. “Input, direction and authentic involvement in the leadership by queer and trans youth is essential to knowing what programs and services are most effective. Many of these individuals have been actively involved in Campus Pride and I am confident these newly appointed members of the Advisory Board will thrive in their leadership.”

“I’m excited for this upcoming year with Advisory Board,” said Romeo Jackson, a senior at Northern Illinois University and 2016 President of the Campus Pride Advisory Board. “Student voices are key to ensure the success of Campus Pride, and having an organization that wants students voices in the conversation is refreshing.”

Read more about the 2016 Campus Pride Advisory Board:

Advisory Board

Romeo Jackson, President

Romeo Jackson is a black, queer, non-binary, feminist who is dedicated to intersectional justice and cross movement building. They are currently a senior attending Northern Illinois University pursuing a specialized degree in Intersectionality and Social Justice. They have been a fellow with: Campus Pride, the Arcus Foundation, and Young People 4; and has interned with: NIU’s Community Standards & Student Conduct, The National Center for Transgender Equality, the Office of Congresswoman Gwen Moore in DC., and is currently interning with NIU’s Career Services. Romeo also serves on the National Advisory Council for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education. Recently named one of the 100 Black and LGBT-SGL leaders to watch, Romeo is dedicated to uplifting and empowering queer and trans people of color.

Kristina Agbebiyi

Kristina Agbebiyi is a student activist enrolled in her junior year at Kennesaw State University. She is majoring in Human Services with an emphasis in Non-Profit Management. As a Community Leader, Orientation Leader, and Peer Leader, Kristina educated her fellow classmates on intersectionality and how to create more inclusive on-campus environments. At Georgia Southern, she was also an active member of GSU’s Gay-Straight Alliance, and Queer People of Color group. In 2014, Kristina was chosen to participate in the 2014-2015 cohort of Young People For, a fellowship for young progressive leaders sponsored by People For The American Way. She currently serves as one of the Georgia state representatives for GetEQUAL, a national non-profit dedicated to empowering members of the LGBTQIA community.

 

Gina Ali

Gina Ali is currently a 4th year senior at California State University Northridge majoring is religious studies with a focus on LGBT issues and dismantling Islamic fundamentalism. She works directly with Muslims for Progressive Values as the LGBT Director where she facilitates the LGBT Muslim monthly support group. She is proud to call herself an activist, fashion blogger, basketball player, and a Queer woman of color who is unapologetic and refuses to remain silent.

 

Jay Alston

Jay Alston is a junior at the University of Delaware majoring in Marketing and Management with a minor in Sexuality and Gender Studies. He represented the university at Camp Pride in the summer of 2014 and returned in 2015 as the pride leader for the Advisor Academy. On campus, he is the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Haven, UD’s only LGBTQ student organization. Jay represents the undergraduate LGBTQ community at UD on the Student Health Advisory Council, the Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Committee, the LGBT Campus Advisory Board, and the LGBT Staff & Faculty Caucus.

Juniper Cordova-Goff

Juniper Cordova-Goff is an 18-year-old grassroots activist from Azusa, CA. As a non-binary radical trans-feminist of color, her work beats at the intersections of class inequality, gender identity and race. Currently at Citrus College. While grassroots activism is where she started her work, Juniper aspires to continue her movement work into public office as a state or local representative, continuously working toward the Oval Office.

 

Deidre Dumpson

Deidre Dumpson is a Graduate Student at the University at Albany studying Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology. She recently graduated in Spring 2015 with her Bachelor’s in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She served as the Director of Gender and Sexuality Concerns for her University’s Student Association.

 

English Fields

English Fields is an activist: Black activist in some cases, LGBTQ in others. She likes to call herself an activist at advocating for peace whatever that is, or more so an understanding. English is a Political Science major at Rust College where she is in the E.A. Smith Honors Society. She was selected as an HBCU All-Star ambassador for Rust College for the White House Initiative for the academic school year of 2015-2016.

 

Keyonna Fowler

Keyonna Fowler is going into her 2nd year of involvement with Camp Pride Summer Leadership Camp. Starting out as a  camper and then serving her first year as a Pride Leader. Keyonna attends North Carolina Central University, a Historical Black College/University, in North Carolina with a Major in Recreation Administration as well as a concentration in Recreational Therapist. Keyonna is currently working within the Non Profit Organization Triangle Empowerment as the new Women’s/Transgender Outreach Coordinator. She is also  the founder of L.O.T.T (Ladies of the T).

Yovanna (Vanna) Garcia

Yovanna (Vanna) Garcia is a poor, first generation Mexican-American and first generation queer college woman studying Journalism and Sociology at Ramapo College of New Jersey. As the Queer Peer Services Coordinator, she serves as a liaison between students and the administration and works to implement intentional campus-wide programs that focus on issues of gender equity, racial justice, intersectionality and identity politics. Vanna is working to heighten the visibility of Hispanic-Latino/a issues in the LGBTQ+ community such as immigration/deportation, poverty, discrimination, nativism, homelessness, and family acceptance.

Amy Gutierrez

Amy Gutierrez is a Master of Public Policy graduate student focused in Environmental and Energy Policy at George Washington University.  Amy currently works at the DC Department of Energy and Environment assisting in the implementation of the National Flood Insurance Program to increase outreach to vulnerable communities and community participation.

 

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is the Director of Social Media for GO! Athletes and a writer for SwimSwam News. She was a Division I NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona and is now swimming and playing water polo at Florida State University while in school for her masters degree in criminology.

 

Calvin Ridley

Calvin Ridley is a senior at Framingham State University in Framingham, Massachusetts where they are studying Painting with minors in Art History and Diversity Studies. As the Chair for the Gender and Inclusion Ad-Hoc Committee in FSU’s Student Government Association, Calvin played a major role in advocating for the creation of Gender Neutral restrooms, Gender Inclusive Housing and a Preferred Name Policy at FSU in 2014-2015. They spent much of their summer of 2015 as a Camp Counselor at Camp Aranu’tiq of Harbor Camps in New Hampshire and California working with transgender and gender non-conforming children and teens. On their college campus, Calvin is active in FSU’s Pride Alliance and also conducts campus wide Brave Space trainings for student groups, staff and faculty where they aim to educate their peers on LGBTQ+ issues. Calvin is passionate about building queer communities and combining art and activism.

Nhawndie Smith

Nhawndie Smith (They, Them, And Theirs) was first introduced to Campus Pride through the Camp Pride leadership camp. Nhawndie is a junior political science at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. Being at a historically black university, Nhawndie knows the importance of having spaces that feel safe and promote growth. As a board member of their school’s LGBTQ group P.R.O.U.D., Nhawndie is intentional in their actions to elevate understanding and inclusion of LGBTQ people on-campus and beyond. Their presence as a queer person of color, has been vital in communication and growth on their campus and in the community.

 

 

Campus Pride is the leading national educational organization for LGBTQ and ally college students and campus groups building future leaders and safer, more LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities. The organization provides resources and services to thousands of college students and nearly 1400 campuses annually. Learn more online at CampusPride.org.