Pride Alliance, the first and longest-running student organization for LGBTQIA+ students, is looking for a team of six people to help curate a safe and educational place on campus. 

“For decades, the Alliance has been the first stop for students looking for community, finding their voice and speaking on behalf of LGBTQIA+ matters at Iowa State,” said nicci port, program director for gender and sexual diversity initiatives.

For the past 10 years, Pride Alliance’s connection and affiliation with student-serving offices and LGBTQIA+ employees helped Iowa State reach its goal to “enhance and cultivate the Iowa State experience where faculty, staff, students and visitors are safe and feel welcomed, supported, included and valued by the university and each other,” port said. 

The executive team works on event planning, teamwork, publicity and promotion, finance, fundraising and conflict resolution, said Chad Cardani-Trollinger, assistant teaching professor for liberal arts and sciences administration. These are skills that are used in the workforce. 

 “That’s on top of the cultural competence that humans build when they work with individuals from various backgrounds,” Cardani-Trollinger said.

The executive team is broken into six roles and assigned a color from the rainbow. Red focuses on outreach, orange on communication and yellow on finances. Green is the program director, blue works on public relations and purple works on social media. 

“Our executive team has the opportunity to positively impact the journey of all members of the Iowa State community by offering programming, social connection, camaraderie and fun in ways that they may have never experienced before,” Cardani-Trollinger said. “We all have a chance to make the world a better place when we come together and live our mission.”

Its mission, according to its website, is to provide a safe space where students and guests can discuss and learn about the LGBTQIA+ community, their own gender and sexuality, as well as have support in their acceptance of themselves and others. 

Typically, Pride Alliance has general meetings every other week and weekly executive team meetings, but because of the pandemic, it’s subject to change. 

Pride Alliance was a huge resource for Cardani-Trollinger during graduate school, he said, as he grew up in a small town and went to a private school. 

“It wasn’t until coming to Iowa State that I was able to reconcile my feelings of difference and otherness while embracing my true self,” Cardani-Trollinger said. “The Pride Alliance, through monthly meetings and social activities, helped me meet new people — people that I had things in common with — and who helped me realize that I was not alone. I credit the experience I had with the Pride Alliance as a huge factor in the person I am now, the amazing life I have and the desire to live my best, most authentic life.”

Those who are interested in the executive leadership positions can apply here. Students who have questions about Pride Alliance leadership can reach out to Madison Mason, executive board leader of Pride Alliance, at [email protected].