Being an OUT Athlete…

I spent much of my time through college being a part of the women’s lacrosse team. I was recruited to come here as a senior in high school by the coaching staff, and found an immediate family upon my arrival. Everyone on my team throughout the years has been nothing but supportive of my sexuality. My teammates have often shared interest in asking how my love life is, in meeting girlfriends, in talking me through relationship issues, and in supporting me throughout my coming-out process. I was surprised at just how welcoming every teammate was to me.
Life on Campus

I’ve come out to all of my roommates, starting with my roommate freshman year who personally witnessed my evolution in sexual identity. It wasn’t as nerve-racking as I had thought it to be. In fact, I felt the most comfortable coming out to roommates and close friends up here. The open-mindedness of those I befriended up here put me at ease throughout this process and made me feel good about being myself.
The greatest place on campus that I have encountered during my tenure here is OMSA (the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs). I discovered OMSA through an ex-girlfriend of mine, and soon found a new, safe place where I could continue to be myself, discover myself, and broaden my perspective. OMSA is one of the most amazing places on campus to me, as a diverse community comes together every day. I believe that many of the important lessons I have learned and bonds I have made at UNH came from being a part of OMSA.

Why UNH?

Many aspects of UNH appealed to me. From its beautiful campus to the general vibe I got from those who already went here. At the time, it was hard to put a finger on what I loved about the people up here, but I came to realize that it was the laid back attitude of many here and the degree to which I could feel comfortable being myself here and feel that I could be taken in for every aspect of me, even though it was a new and very different environment. Though I was going to be away from home for the first time, I felt that this was a place I could soon learn to call home and be comfortable with that.
Coming to New Hampshire has proven to be the greatest stepping stone in understanding myself. For me, this goes even broader than understanding and being comfortable with my sexuality. It is in finding a community. It is in learning from other communities. It is in interacting with every unique population here. It is in finding how welcoming and open-minded much of the campus is. It is in being comfortable being myself, in feeling at home here, and in continually evolving with the support of this place.