<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><item href="/news/pair-of-wjc-alums--take-pride-in-working-with-the-lgbtqia-population.html" dsn="news"><title>A Pair of WJC Alums Take Pride in Working with the LGBTQIA+ Population</title><item_date>06/26/2024 04:10:49 PM</item_date><author>Hannah Van Sickle</author><image><img src="/news/images/pride-2024.jpg" alt="two presenters"/></image><image_caption>Karam Hanna (left) and Ann Bruck (right)</image_caption><thumbnail><img src="/news/images/pride-2024.jpg" alt="two presenters"/></thumbnail><summary>On the eve of Pride Month, six students from the William James College class of 2024 received rainbow-colored cords to honor their completion of the LGBTQIA+ Studies Concentration. The timing of the May 29 celebration was no accident: In 1999, on the 30th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the federal government first recognized Gay &amp; Lesbian Pride Month; since then, the Pride moniker—like the flag—has evolved to include more and more marginalized groups. The new tradition of rainbow cord distribution, conceived of to recognize what has become a burgeoning area of study on campus, was more than apropos: Since last June, when Colleen Deely became the first student to graduate with a concentration in LGBTQIA+ Studies, the cohort has grown exponentially to include one Clinical PsyD and five Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduates—a figure that’s poised to double come fall. </summary><category>In the News</category><featured/><tags><tag>In the Community</tag></tags></item>