Cam

I've been going back and forth between Illinois and Indiana my entire life but primarily grew up in northern Illinois. Frankfort is a pretty, but small, suburban town that is about an hour from Chicago. Surprisingly, I always felt more comfortable in Indiana than Illinois for some reason but now I've realized both states are lacking inclusivity. I feel like Purdue tries but it needs a lot of improvement. I haven't experienced anything negatively toward me but I think more education is needed. A class I took would have panels and discussions and within those discussions I could tell a lot of people are closed minded – I feel like every student should take this class to learn that there is no standard for being normal.

My sexuality is definitely a part of my identity, a small part. I wouldn't say it influences my decisions on a daily basis but I do think about it often. I wouldn't say I have any fears of living here in Indiana but I do have frustrations when it comes to the stereotypes that perpetrate those. So many people are just pessimistic and have these preconceived ideas on what it means to be a member of the LGBTQ community. I do feel that this affects the mentality of those within the community and often causes tension between them due to abiding by those “preconceived ideas”. It causes a division. That's a huge problem in regards to my sexuality. If I could change anything about Indiana, I would change the people I've met. I wish I could meet people more like myself – I'm very direct, opened, and expressive.

I feel most comfortable within my gymnastics team. We're a very inclusive group and I'm so proud of our accomplishments. As the Community Service Chair of the gymnastics team, I make it a precedent to make everyone feel accepted.