Lavender Graduation and Awards Dinner honors Elon LGBTQIA students

Forty-three graduates along with faculty members and other top achievers at Elon were honored Friday, May 3, at the annual Lavender Graduation & Awards Dinner. 

> See a Flickr gallery of photos from the event

This year saw the largest number of Lavender Graduates at Elon and the event's largest crowd, with a full house at the Lakeside meeting rooms celebrating this year's graduates and award winners. ​The annual graduation ceremony, which is held at many college and university campuses around the country, celebrates the achievements and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, asexual and ally students. 

The event was emceed by Matthew Antonio Bosch, director of the Gender and LGBTQIA Center, with an opening address by President Connie Ledoux Book. 

The award winners at this year's events are:

Events / Initiatives of the Year:

“Bent” – Jaclyn Kanter ’19
​“Dragstravaganza” – Trinity Dixon ’22 and Antonia Sereno ’21 

Faculty / Staff of the Year:

Charles Johnson – Faculty, Performing Arts
​Susanne Shawyer – Faculty, Performing Arts & Theatre 

Department of the Year:

Performing Arts

Inspirational Ally Award:

Amanda Tapler – Faculty, Public Health Studies

Highest GPA Award:

Jaclyn Kanter ’19
Sabrina Dawn van der Gracht ’19
Lauren Ventresca ’19 

Community Excellence Award:

Lynn Huber – Faculty, Religious Studies
​Laurin Kier – Faculty, Sociology 

Student Research / Publication of the Year:

Trés McMichael ’19 & Bridgette Agbozo ’19 – “Even Over the Rainbow:  Exploring the Intersectional Identities of Emerging Adult Black Gay Men” 

Breakout Students of the Year:

Kamal Lado ’21
Jubitza Figueroa ’21
Trinity Dixon ’22
 
Students of the Year:

Trés McMichael ’19
Urka Swinney ’19

Legacy Award:

Brooke Barnett – Associate Provost, Academic & Inclusive Excellence