Meredith McGee-2023
Meredith McGee
Major: Biology
Second Major: History (Dual Degree)
Minor: Women and Gender Studies
GPA: 3.64
THESIS TOPIC
The Year of the Lustful Lesbian: an Exploration into the Creation of the Attractive Lesbian Archetype in Pornographic Media.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
The Lafayette ideal is one with a sordid, complicated history which I have spent much time reflecting and confronting. I am proud of the transformation I have made at Lafayette and am even more proud of the person I have become. Yet I struggle to see myself as the Lafayette ideal. Would the founders of the college want students to push for change as much as I have?
Would they have supported uplifting and promoting the lives of Queer and Trans students? I’m not 100% sure. What I do know is that I am representative of a new, more inclusive Lafayette ideal: a group of students dedicated to making Lafayette continuously better. I have challenged the status quo of Lafayette and pushed for measurable, significant improvement. From establishing Lavender Lane, to welcoming the National AIDS Memorial Quilt back on campus after 30 years, I have chosen to spend my time at Lafayette advocating for increased education on Queer and Trans needs. The new ideal has students become passionate drivers of change all in an attempt to make Lafayette representative of the world that they want to live in, not the one that they currently inhabit. To me, the Lafayette ideal isn’t just representative of one person-but a whole movement. Without the work of all of us, we cannot make Lafayette better, and advocacy should never fall on the shoulders of one person. I am thankful for my time at Lafayette and the chance that I have been given to find my voice and advocate for transformation. I hope to inspire others to push the Lafayette ideal even further so that we can make Lafayette a place we all want to come back to and celebrate. The history of Lafayette is rich and I want our future to be just as promising.
OTHER INFORMATION
I was diagnosed with a pituitary adenoma summer of 2021. This tumor severely disabled me, causing me to take a step back from many activities, and struggle to balance treatment and academics. It was removed in the Summer of 2022. Since then, I have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that causes fatigue, and pain.
In addition to this, I am currently working three jobs off campus to help support myself after having a fallout with my parents over my identity.
ACADEMIC ACTIVITY/AWARD
Phi Alpha Theta-3 years
Member of the History Academic Honor Society
Beta Beta Beta-3 years
Member of the Biology Academic Honor Society
Mary Armstrong Award in LGBTQIA+ Studies-1 year
Awarded for paper Community, Culture, and Change: The Rise and Prominence of the Gay Rights Movement Before Stonewall
Senior History Thesis-1.5 years
History Thesis on the Creation of the Attractive Lesbian Archetype in Pornographic Media.
National Conference on Undergraduate Research Presentation-1 year
Chosen to present History Thesis in April
Lafayette History Honors Jury-1 year
Selected by and work closely with faculty. Collaborate with others to select the most honorable introduction to history paper.
Lafayette Biology Inclusion Committee-.5 year
Worked alongside others to identify and improve equity and inclusion within the Biology department
CAMPUS SERVICE ACTIVITY/AWARD
OUT Lafayette-2 years
Co-Founder and Vice President. Advocated to bring the AIDS memorial quilt back on campus for the first time in 30 years, planned and coordinated LGBTQ+ formal, and two years of Condom Bingo
Lavender Lane-2 years
Foumder and House President. Worked on establishing and running the first gender-neutral special interest house on campus.
SMAC-2 years
Member: helped plan and run events
GSRC-2 yeas
Employee: worked alongside and coordinated with Thomas Lee for events such as national coming out day, LGBTQ+ formal, and queer history month
Athlete Ally-2 years
member for two years
Aaron O Hoff Mattachine Award-1 year
Awarded Mattachine award for achievements in LGBTQ+ advocacy on campus.
Various Student Support Roles-1 year
Interviewed persepctive hires for the college, including case managers, and OID positions
COMMUNITY SERVICE
OUT Fundraisers-2 years
Raised over $700 for local queer organizations such as Eastern Pa Trans Equity Project
OUT Safe Harbor Drive-2 years
Organized and collected clothing and dry goods for Safe Harbor
SMAC Be The Match Drive-2 years
Helped run and support two Be the Match Drives, where over 80 people were added to the bone marrow registry
SMAC the Car-2 years
Helped run and supervise SMAC the car
Fight on Makenna Foundation-2 years
Volunteered at event raising money for patients at CHOP
ATHLETIC ACTIVITY/AWARD
Lafayette Track and Field-4 years
Member of the Track and Field team and part of the OAKS leadership academy. Stepped away after diagnosed with a brain tumor, but remained invovled on the team.
Partiot League Academic Honor Role-3 years
For Track and field
OAKS Leader-3 years
Member of the OAKS leadership academy
SPECIAL INTEREST ACTIVITY/AWARD
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Center-1 year
Acted as the grant intern over the summer and fall of 2022. Obtained over $50,000 in grants, and volunteered for large events such as Pride.
The Apothecarium Phillipsburg-1 year
Wellness Associate: helped medical patients learn about medical cannabis and helped find the right product for conditions.
Health Center-1 year
Started conversations to promote queer inclusivity and sti testing on campus.