Missouri GSA Network
2013
20 under 20
Why 20 under 20?
Our list of 20 under 20 is a chance to lift up the awesome young
people in Missouri by acknowledging their hard work, spirit,
passion and dedication to many social justice causes.
We collected nominations for over a month and a half and opened
up this process to community members, friends, classmates and
students to nominate folks they wished to see be a part of this great
list.
Our 20 under 20 list is not an exhaustive list. There are so many
young people in Missouri 20 years old and younger doing amazing
things. And this list is just a snap shot of some of the great leaders
we have in our state.
Some of the young people who are listed on this 20 under 20, for
many different reasons, are not able to be public about their
identity. We wanted to lift up their awesome work and share what
they are able to share at this time while also being mindful that
there are many folks doing great things in the background of a
larger movement.
We encourage others through this project to find small simple
ways to lift up the work young people do every day to make
Missouri a great place to live and grow.
Make sure to stay connected to the Missouri GSA Network and
have your nominations ready for next year’s 20 under 20.
All the good stuff,
Missouri GSA Network Staff
MaggieNominated by her friend and classmate,
Erin tells us what makes Maggie
awesome is her determination and spirit.
She recently founded the Webster
University Feminist Collective, and has
been a big participant in Webster's
LGBTQ Alliance. Maggie is bright and
quick-witted. Her LGBTQ rights as well
as women's rights and is a Political Science and Women and
Gender Studies major at Webster University. She is also involved
with Housing and Residential Life at Webster as a Resident
Assistant, the Office of First Year Experience as an Orientation
Leader and Connection Leader, and the Webster Admissions
Office as a Tour Guide. What I love most about Maggie is that she
is an amazing student under 20 who knows exactly what she
believes in.
KevonSarah nominated saying Kevon is
incredibly inspiring. While he is only in
8th grade and is surrounded by people
who don't understand LGBT issues, he
is very open about his identity and
proud to own it. His outstanding
perseverance and strength is
something that people oppressed for
all kinds of identities should try to
achieve. Kevon is smart, funny, and most importantly, embraces
his own identity. I could not be prouder to see him not be afraid
to be himself, even if people don't understand his feelings or
choices of what to wear.
AaronAaron was nominated three times by
three different people all reporting
that he is a dynamic young man who
has been working to eliminate
discrimination against the LGBTQ community. Most recently, he
has co-founded an organization called Missourians for Equality,
which is a statewide initiative campaign to eliminate LGBT
discrimination in Missouri's housing and employment policy.
Aaron is so empowered by the inequity in Missouri that he is
devoting his life to this process of removing disparities that
shouldn't exist in the first place. There's never a moment in the
day when Aaron isn't doing something to try to promote equality
in our state. He is more dedicated to social justice than anyone
else I've ever known. At 19, he is the executive director of an
organization of several hundred volunteers while attending
college and serving as the student body President of his
university. Recently, Truman State University in Kirksville, MO
added sexual orientation protection to the nondiscrimination
statement as a direct result of Aaron's yearlong battle for the
amendment. Aaron's commitment and selflessness deserves to
be recognized. He is working endlessly for the rights of others
and he will be successful because of his heartfelt devotion and
personal conviction.
ClaireNominate by Scott says that
Claire is an active member of
Growing American Youth who has
embodied the best of the
organization. She readily supports other LGBTQ on their journeys
even when they are not sure of the end result. Claire is a
navigator through difficulty and the greatest champion for those
who are fabulous. Her commitment to social justice is
manifesting in her schooling at FLO Valley Community College as
she lays the groundwork for a social work career.
NatalieK. Jones says knowing Natalie for
some time now, the overarching
quality that stands out the most is
passion. Whether Natalie is
engaging in community service,
extracurricular, or social justice
work, she doesn’t do things halfheartedly; Natalie will always
give 110%. Moreover, Natalie’s passion is widespread—she has
engaged in social justice work through the AnYtown and ALLY
programs and her self-directed efforts to make her school
climate more inclusive, interned with the Missouri Democratic
Coordinated Campaign to garner support for femalebodied/woman-identified candidates and initiatives focusing on
low socioeconomic statuses, been an active member of the GSA
at her high school, served as a member of the Superintendent’s
Advisory Council for her high school and led initiatives to
improve her school climate. Even with all of these activities on
her plate, Natalie still works to engage issues as they arise, most
recently working to engage her entire student body in a dialogue
on sexism, heterosexism, and gender-based violence in light of
the recent atrocities at Steubenville High School in Ohio. In
short, Natalie is awesome because she is unwavering in her
beliefs and values, an advocate for targeted identity groups
(whether or not she is a member of them), and a model for
addressing social justice issues in her home and school
communities.
Student ANominated by her friend and
classmate this student is
described as spunky, smart, and
energetic. She is the vice president of her school's GSA, and
has dedicated much of her time to staying up to date with
Gender and Sexual Minority (GSM) news. She also runs an
LGBT+ blog under an alias. This is remarkable under any
circumstances considering how involved in other activities
she is, but even more so that she does it all well without her
parents’ knowledge. Her family is homophobic and she
comes from a more homophobic culture. This has not
stopped her from being involved in the community.
SterlingNominated by their GSA Sponsor
Mrs. Rauch Sterling has done a
lot of advocacy for Gender and
Sexual Minority (GSM) teens, and
they have been a strong leader
for GSM rights in our school. Here is a list of all they have done
(and I'm sure I'm even forgetting some things!) President of GSA
at PCH, On board of MO GSA Network, Very active role in
highlighting LGBT issues in their synagogue, Created a LGBT 101
presentation for teachers at PCH, Held lock-ins at their house to
prepare rainbow bow ties for Ally Week and Day of Silence
fundraisers, In TASH of Planned Parenthood, Attends Growing
American Youth regularly -Participates in GAY events regularly,
Working with HS admin and counselors to create a LGBT
intervention/mediation response to bullying, Helped increase
membership in PCH's GSA. Right now Mrs. Rauch says she is
most proud of Sterling's work with the administration and
counseling department to create an intervention /anti-bullying
awareness mediation on behalf of LGBT youth. They are reworking the document that counseling has previously used, and
adding a LGBT focus to it. It has been a lot of work, which they
have taken on willingly and passionately despite all the other
activities/homework that they have going on in their life. They
are truly a leader, and I look forward to see what they will do in
the future!
NisaNisa is an awesome leader and
pioneer of helping young
people understanding sexual
orientation and gender identity
says Leon Braxton, Executive
Director of The LGBT Center of
St. Louis. Recently Nisa attended an Introduction to Intersex
Forum we had at the LGBT Center. She was so enlightened she
went back to her Brentwood High School GSA and had an
Introduction to Intersex Event at her school. Students, faculty,
counselors and even the superintendent of the school district
attended this workshop on Intersex identity. There were about
30 people in attendance. Nisa was very instrumental is getting
this all organized even when she had problems with the
Brentwood HS Principal not approving the flyers for this event.
When Nisa was instructed to take down the flyers she did and
took to social media to spread the word about the event. She
was not going to let any barriers stand in her way of education
people about Intersexuality.
AlexAlex was nominated by his principal and
is described as a courageous and
thoughtful individual. He is aware that
aspects of identity are situated at the
intersections of race, sex, gender, and family structure. Alex
does not see being a middle schooler as a barrier for being an
ally and advocate. Alex has written letters to and met with his
school principal and superintendent about the need for education
and awareness building for students and staff on behalf of LGBTidentified young people in the school district. Alex also has
conversations with peers, particularly about gender. Alex's work
is very much behind the scenes. We have spoken about the
privilege he possesses since he passes completely as a middle
school boy and since his experience with puberty will be much
different than other trans*-identified young people that he knows.
ZoeZoe is a dedicated community activist
and a scholar and was nominated for
20 under 20 by Tracy. She graduated
from high school in the top ten percent
of her class but she excelled even
more in the political world. She is
nearly fluent in Spanish, which has
helped her with community outreach.
She led the Young Democrats while at Ladue Horton Watkins
High. Zoe was the political liaison for TASH (Teen Advocates for
Sexual Health) at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region.
She interned for "Missouri Wins 2012" in the Field Department.
Zoe served on the Young Leaders Advisory Council for Planned
Parenthood Federation of America. And most importantly, Zoe
served as my campaign manager when I ran for re-election to the
Missouri House of Representatives. Other than someone I could
always count on, Zoe is a bright, interesting and concerned
person.
JAKELauren nominated Jake and says he
is awesome for a LOT of reasons,
because he works very hard to
make our world a better, safer,
healthier, and more just place. He is
a young man of great integrity and
commitment. Never have I seen him
say one thing and then do another.
He operates consistently from his
strongly held values.
Jake believes that we must do more to protect our planet, to live
sustainably, and to work toward cleaning up the damage we've
already done. He has had two summer internships that focus on
environmental work. He spent 16 months on Washington
University's Green Events Commission, and is currently the
Executive Adviser of Sustainability at Washington University. He
co-founded both Washington University's GreenStep Engineering
Community Project and the "Renew WashU" Campus Renewable
Energy Committee. He wrote and delivered a sermon about the
spirituality of environmental sustainability at the church we both
attend, Emerson Unitarian Universalist Chapel, in Ellisville, MO.
He also spent a year as the chair of Emerson's social justice
committee "Love First," heading up our environmental justice
efforts, and making lasting changes in the way we do a number
of things at church that have made us a more energy-conscious
congregation and far more conscientious about the resources we
use and how much we recycle and compost. There's more; those
are just the highlights!
Jake is a person who gets the job done. For years, if not
decades, Unitarian Universalists in St. Louis have been talking
about how we need to have some campus outreach at
Washington University, but there has been no successful effort
toward establishing any sort of campus ministry. Until, that is,
Jake became a student there! He and a couple of other Unitarian
Universalist students got together and formed the Unitarian
Universalist Student Association on the campus, applying for and
receiving a grant for start-up funding from the national Unitarian
Universalist Association. Jake organized and moderated a panel
discussion about Unitarian Universalism during the university’s
recent Pluralism Week, which was well attended, and helped to
make other students aware of this very small and poorly
understood religious denomination. When Jake’s family first
began attending services at Emerson Chapel five years ago, I
was the Director of Religious Education at the time. I cannot
begin to express how proud I am of his commitment to this
beautiful faith and his efforts to make it accessible to his fellow
students. But I am even more proud of his obvious commitment
to living Unitarian Universalism’s values. We are a creedless
faith, but we do affirm seven principles, which I see Jake living in
every aspect of his life.
DustinDustin was nominated by his past
teacher and was described to
have a bright, happy personality
that makes him a joy to be
around. He was the president of
the Kirksville High School GSA
his senior year and he was outstanding! We had numerous guest
speakers, games nights, and movie nights throughout the year.
Dustin always made sure there were plenty of supplies and
people in attendance for all of the big events. It was a pleasure
to work with him!
WillNominated by Kim she says Will is a
16-year old junior at Ladue High
School who is an absolutely
amazing young man in so many
ways. Bright, kind, and incredibly
charming, Will has personally
touched the lives of many gender
independent kids that he has come
to know through the TRANSPARENT
organization. This past year, Will
has embraced an advocacy role and
has begun sharing his personal
story of transition. He speaks in front of Social Justice students
at UMSL and will soon be speaking to pediatric residents at St.
Louis Children's Hospital. He also travels to Jefferson City, MO
to lobby for transgender rights on Equality Day. Most recently,
Will was interviewed by the St. Louis Beacon and shared his
story with ease and confidence indicating just how far he is
willing to go to make a difference for all gender independent
children. We are so proud of Will and believe he should be
recognized for his courage and desire to advance the
understanding and acceptance of gender independent children
and their families.
DustinNominated by Scott
saying building a
community is
important to all of us.
Over the years Dustin
has grown from the
quietest person in the
room to someone who can hold the attention of many. He has
learned the value of self-care and encourages other to do the
same. He has been able to connect isolated youth both online
and in person with a community that they can really grow.
Leading by example can sometimes be hard especially when you
are just finding your solid place and Dustin has taken this side of
himself and amplified it. Dustin welcomes a challenge and
because of that he has turned out to be a super talent.
DannyDanny was nominated by his
classmate James and has
worked with the Southeast Missouri State University GSA for two
years now. He is a sophomore and is 100% honest about who he
is. He is transgender and proud. Danny has helped our club
educate not on our club but our community about trans issues
and topics. Danny has been a huge help as the GSA's
Secretary/Treasurer and helping plan educational series. Danny
has also helped our Office of Residence Life recognize the issues
trans students face in the residence halls. Danny is never afraid
to be who he is.
TaylarNominated by Jill the volunteer
coordinator at the LGBT Center of St
Louis says that Taylar is a dedicated
volunteer at the LGBT Center of St.
Louis. Her mom, Bonnie, is also a volunteer there. They live close
by, and after visiting a few times, Taylar decided to become a
volunteer, herself. She attended the orientation, and has since
signed up for several 4-hour shifts weekly. She is responsible and
articulate. She works very hard when on duty, often finding
things to do without even being asked. She is great about
keeping in touch with me, the Volunteer Coordinator, so that I
can know what is happening at the Center when I'm not there.
Taylar is an awesome volunteer!
NikitaNikita was nominated by Adam and
is an active member with Growing
American Youth and is very vocal on
Facebook as well as at his school
about supporting his friends and
fellow students as well as working
to raise awareness about marriage
equality. He routinely offers a
mature, thoughtful, and unique
perspective during group that always enhances the
conversations during group. Nikita also works very hard to
support other youth and offers his perspective to help others to
overcome their own challenges.
JarrenJarren is a strong, smart and talented leader
says Morgan who nominated her for 20 under
20. Currently serving as the President of
Metro High School GSA Jarren has proven
time and time again to be thoughtful and
creative when it comes to building
community and problem solving issues in her
school. She has turned her passion of art
into a tool to use for social justice and has learned a very
important part of leadership, which is learning how to turn over
leadership to the people that follow you. She has been accepted
and will be attending Webster University in the fall and we are
excited to see all things Jarren will do in the future. Thanks for
never being afraid to be the first to struggle with issues and
problems to pave the way for those to come.
DanielSarah nominated Daniel and says he
has had an amazing journey in finding
himself and finding a place in which he
can express who he truly is without
the distraction and emotional stress
being made fun of can put on you,
especially in an educational setting.
He's risen above the people who put
him down and he's come out the other end stronger than before.
Not only is he an active member of GSA at Webster Groves and
an active member of Saint Louis's LGBT youth, but he is also a
leader in both communities. He's an inspiration to anybody trying
to find themselves and truly amazing. He knows what it's like to
be put down and now is there for those who need him when they
are trying to figure out themselves.
JackJack was nominated by Jihwak and
described as a very motivated and
involved young person. While his main
passion is LGBT rights, he is an advocate
for all social justice issues. He does his
best to do what he can do to educate and
involve others in his communities as a
student group leader from his school and
as an ALLY leader at NCCJSTL. He is an
outstanding young leader.