LGBTQ+ Diversity Club Enriches College Experience

Twenty-one-year-old Dawson Knipp's experiences at Kalamazoo Valley Community College have been full of enriching endeavors. The 2022 Marcellus High School graduate is an honors student and is the president of the college's LGBTQ+ Diversity Club. Knipp says that the club has been an invaluable resource and offers opportunities that supplement students' educational experiences.

"It has bolstered my confidence a lot to know that I have this club and community to back me and represent me," said Knipp. "It's taken a lot of anxiety off my shoulders."

The studio art major joined shortly after a friend started the club. "Because I am queer and because I very much support diversity and inclusion, I felt that it was my responsibility to join," Knipp explained. Knipp was the club's original vice president and eventually took on their current role when the club's founder graduated.

Members have enjoyed a variety of experiences and events since the LGBTQ+ Diversity Club's inception in the summer of 2023. Activities have included general bi-weekly meetings, game nights, movie screenings, participation in Kalamazoo Youth Pride and hosting booths at college-wide events.

Misti Mahon advises the club. "There are so many rewarding parts of being the LGBTQ+ Diversity Club's advisor, but I'd have to say that the most rewarding part is being the safe person for someone that I wished I had when I was a student," said Mahon, Kalamazoo Valley academic and career pathway advisor. "Being this club's advisor has been so fulfilling."

In addition to regular meetings, the club has started hosting safe-space meetings. "There's not necessarily an agenda for those meetings," Knipp said. "It's just an event where you can come and you'll be surrounded by people who will listen and won't judge you."

Knipp said the club looks forward to planning more engagement events and activities throughout the academic year. Among their hopes are to visit an apple orchard, organize a queer prom and connect with the LGBTQ+ student clubs and organizations at Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College.

Knipp and Mahon said they've noticed the club's positive impact in the lives of students, including improved confidence and the growth of friendships. The club's welcoming atmosphere offers a nurturing environment for LGBTQ+ individuals and advocates to connect.

"During club meetings, students open up and share their experiences with each other and receive affirmation and validation from their peers," Mahon said. "For some people, that might be priceless because maybe they don't necessarily feel that in other spaces. Just hearing, 'I feel that way, too,' or 'That happens to me, too,' can be huge for someone."

To learn more about the LGBTQ+ Diversity Club, contact Knipp at or Mahon at .