LuLu G茅za Kelemen (they/them/theirs) has been 911爆料鈥檚 assistant director for since 2017. But their history with the office goes back even further.
鈥淸As an undergraduate at Mason] I explored, figured out what I wanted to do, what was important to me, and who I was,鈥 said G茅za Kelemen, who majored in . 鈥淚 got to be involved with so many things and one of them was being a facilitator with LGBTQ+ Resources.鈥
Mason鈥檚 Safe Zone Program hosts workshops on issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, allyship, and learning resources, G茅za Kelemen said. After earning their bachelor鈥檚 degree, they returned to Mason for a while working as a graduate professional assistant with LGBTQ+ Resources for three years.
鈥淎s a student I felt like I could be anything that I wanted,鈥 G茅za Kelemen said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I want students, LGBTQ+ or not, to feel at Mason.鈥
G茅za Kelemen now runs the Safe Zone Program, and has helped advocate for inclusive polices on campus, such as the LGBTQ+ , Mason鈥檚 recent Chosen Name and Pronouns Policy that streamlines students鈥 ability to be recognized by the name and pronouns they use, and a new mentoring program for LGBTQ+ and ally first-year students.
It鈥檚 about creating spaces where students can feel safer, they said, and that鈥檚 also their favorite part of the job.
鈥淚 really like working with students,鈥 G茅za Kelemen said. 鈥淚 get a lot of people who come to my office who just need to talk it out a little bit.鈥
鈥淗aving those one-on-one interactions and letting people know that they鈥檙e enough is some of the most important work that anyone could be doing,鈥 they said.
It鈥檚 what building a community is all about.
Join Mason鈥檚 Lambda Alumni chapter for a Pride Trivia Night, June 30, 5-6:30 p.m., via Zoom. Register .