Sophomore Kindell Workman is pushing herself and pushing boundaries at the University of South Florida. As the President of USF’s P.R.I.D.E. Alliance, Workman has learned early on how to balance studying for classes, having a social life and being actively involved on campus as a student leader.
When Workman first came to USF as a freshman, she wanted nothing to do with P.R.I.D.E. At her new student orientation, some of her friends tried to get her interested.
“They dragged me unwillingly to the P.R.I.D.E. table but I said no, I don’t want to be involved with that, look at the huge rainbow flag. They are so flashy,” Workman said. “I [didn’t] want to do any of that, but they dragged me over and I signed up for the listserve.” After attending her first meeting and an ice cream social with her roommate, Workman got involved with her first big event. She volunteered at P.R.I.D.E.’s annual Coming Out Day and decided to get more involved with the organization.
“I had never been around so many people who were so open. It was so easy to talk about myself. It was so easy to feel comfortable with myself because everyone there was so comfortable with themselves,” Workman said.
After serving as the Public Relations officer in the spring of 2010, Workman was elected to serve as president for the 2010-2011 school year. Now Workman spends her days in the Marshall Student Center keeping the organization together, running meetings, planning events, working with the other members and pushing herself to do as much as she can.
Workman feels passionately, like most of the members of P.R.I.D.E., about issues that directly affect the LGBT community including gay marriage, bullying in schools and the recent trend in suicides of LGBT youth. Recently P.R.I.D.E. hosted a high school meeting to reach out to LGBT students from the area’s high schools.
“Growing up in general is hard; growing up in a society that doesn’t view you as normal is harder,” Workman said. “Bridging the gap is essential.”
Workman plans to continue pushing herself and pushing her executive board to get more involved and continue promoting awareness through P.R.I.D.E. events. This April, P.R.I.D.E. will host its annual Day of Silence on April 14 and its first ever Gay Prom in partnership with the Office of Multicultural Affairs on April 25.
Workman balances her time between the P.R.I.D.E. office, work and her personal life by “keeping P.R.I.D.E. in P.R.I.D.E. and keeping home time separate.” She plans to run for re-election this spring. Eventually, Workman would like to be a civil rights lawyer.
“Until there is absolute equality, there will be a job there,” Workman said.