Cal Poly Pomona Pride Center

This past week, I started my service learning at the Pride Center at Cal Poly. Over the summer, I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do.

• I turned to the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center to see if I could work a couple of Fridays and Saturdays to get my minimum hours done, but they didn't take volunteers under 18... So that didn't work. 
• After figuring out that the LAGLC wouldn't work, I sent an email off to the director of the Queer Resource Center at the Claremont Colleges, Adriana di Bartolo. I had met her in 2010 for a training summit that GSA Network had put on, an event I was lucky enough to work. She had told me that if I ever needed anything from her, that she would do everything she could to help me out. I explained the direction in which my project was headed and asked if I could possibly do some volunteer work with them, seeing as they're really established and one of their main focuses is their Trans* community. Unfortunately, we were unable to work something out by the time my second interview was due. 

After both of these failures, I was at a loss. I needed somewhere LGBT-centered to do my service learning. And it wasn't until one day I was walking past the Pride Center on my way to my mom's office that it occurred to me to pop in and talk to the coordinator. 

So I did. 

I explained my project and what I was hoping to accomplish and the fact that I needed answers. I thought I sounded a little desperate and that they wouldn't let me work their, but instead, Jami was extremely open to the idea and loved the opportunity to have me on board. 

So I started this week, and it was a lot of getting to know the Pride Center's two Social Justice Leaders - the students who get paid to do the office work and the daily tasks around the different Culture Centers - Emanuel and Traci. They're both pretty awesome and they have a lot of insight on gender non-conformity. 

And Emanuel also has an amazing sense of humor. 

*Side Note: I saw Adriana again this weekend (at the same event I met her at last year) and she was incredibly embarrassed that she didn't remember who I was when I emailed her. Apparently she thought I was just another kid that needed community service and "wanted to work with gay people," like so many other high school kids have done in the past. I think the QRC is definitely going to come into play for my project with my second independent component. Fingers crossed, right?