Lavender Leaders is a new leadership experience offered by Campus Life and geared towards LGBTQIA+ students looking to build mentorship and career development for life after WashU.
Mentees will be paired with mentors that identify as either a WashU faculty, staff, or graduate students and attend professional development sessions that support their growth as Queer leaders of the future. More details to come! For any questions about Lavender Leaders, please contact Travis Tucker.
Download the Lavender Leaders flyer (PDF).
Apply to be a Lavender Leader Mentee
Below is a list of our outstanding Lavender Leader Mentors! Mentors will be tasked with meeting with their mentees at least once a month to build connections, community, and support around their experience at Washington University and beyond.
Trevor Joy Sangrey
Pronouns: They/them or she/her
Hometown: Portland, OR
Social Identities: White, Queer, Dr. of the History of Consciousness
Gender Identity: Genderqueer
University Title: Assistant Dean, Senior Lecturer, Faculty Fellow
Interests and Hobbies: Cooking, hiking, making bread, running around with my kid
Why are you most excited to be part of the Lavender Leader program? I really enjoy engaging with students outside of the classroom or advising. I enjoy the new insights I gain by getting to know people in their contradictory and complicated lives.
What does it mean to you to be a Mentor? A good mentor listens, offers a different perspective, and supports you in any decision you end up making.
Shruti Desai
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Social Identities: Desi/South Asian, working class poor background, 1st gen, cis-gendered, able bodied, Hindu, U.S. born, woman
Gender Identity: Woman
University Title: Chief of Staff– Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement
Interests and Hobbies: Food, getting to know St. Louis, college football, my family, good naps
Why are you most excited to be part of the Lavender Leader program? Navigating identity is hard and finding community to do that in is even harder. I have seen some things but have a lot to learn. Creating a relationship where we can learn from one another and be honest in that process with someone who shares identities is powerful. There isn’t enough of that space in the world so I am excited this program offers that.
What does it mean to you to be a Mentor? It means being available within reason and knowing my boundaries. To mentor I need to have done my own self-work so I don’t put my “stuff” on the mentees I mentor. Also, it means being okay not knowing it all, but demonstrating a willingness to hear and learn.
Tonya Edmond
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Hometown: Austin, TX
Social Identities: First generation; lesbian; white; female;
Gender Identity: Woman
University Title: Associate Dean of Social Work
Interests and Hobbies: Travel, collecting wine, enjoying great food with family and friends
Why are you most excited to be part of the Lavender Leader program? To support LGBTQIA students and increase visibility of queer faculty.
What does it mean to you to be a Mentor? To be a sounding board, to share experiences that can help guide someone through educational, career and life decisions.
Aditi Ahlawat
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Hometown: New Delhi, India
Social Identities: Queer/Pansexual; Asian Indian; Immigrant; Middle Class
Gender Identity: Woman
University Title: Staff Psychologist
Interests and Hobbies: Hiking; Travelling; Cooking; Exploring Nature
Why are you most excited to be part of the Lavender Leader program? I want to provide more queer affirming spaces and opportunities on campus for students.
What does it mean to you to be a Mentor? To meet my mentees where they are at; have a holistic view of their identities as they navigate their academic and personal lives at WUSTL.
Wolf Smith
Pronouns: Neutral (they/them or ze/zir)
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Social Identities: Queer (sexuality and gender), White, AMAB
Gender Identity: Genderqueer
University Title: Richard Teitelman Fellow in Economic Justice
Interests and Hobbies: Anti-Violence advocacy, law, video games, food (cooking and eating), and dogs/cats
Why are you most excited to be part of the Lavender Leader program? Mentorship is a huge part of personal and professional growth, and finding a good mentor as an LGBTQ+ person can be very challenging. I’m excited to hopefully help upcoming LGBTQ+ leaders grow.
What does it mean to you to be a Mentor? In addition to helping with certain logistics (such as how to navigate St. Louis), being a mentor means giving mentees the opportunity to ask questions and reflect on their own experiences. It also means giving mentees a sounding board to explore new ideas and be challenged in a safe, collegial way.
Christian Sandoval
Pronouns: He/him/his
Hometown: Waddell, AZ
Social Identities: Queer, Latino, first-generation college graduate, low-socioeconomic status background
Gender Identity: Man
University Title: Residential College Director
Interests and Hobbies: Cooking, trying new coffee shops around STL, walking/hiking with my dog and husband, taking care of my houseplants (I have a lot).
Why are you most excited to be part of the Lavender Leader program? I’m excited for the opportunity to connect with and support members of the queer community at WashU. I think so much of the queer experience involves us uplifting and supporting one another when we need affirmation or when those we thought would support us don’t.
What does it mean to you to be a Mentor? It means providing and receiving perspective, support, and a little bit of disagreement when needed.