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A Bit About Us
Founded in the summer of 2020, the Florida State University Pride Alumni Network aims to cultivate a network of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and allied alumni to sustain meaningful relationships on behalf of FSU.
A Little Bit More About Us
This all started in 2019. Our President Donald Post was finishing his term as President of the Seminole Club of Greater Orlando when the Alumni Association approached him. The University realized that the LGBTQ+ students and alumni did not have broad representation, and that it was badly needed. They asked Donald if he would create a new network from scratch. He gladly accepted.
Following the process set by the University, Donald was first asked to create a slate of Founders in January 2020. These individuals would be tasked with finding the new network’s first Board of Directors. Donald drew on his personal network of alumni with whom he held deeply rooted, personal relationships to develop a list of Founders. By March of 2020, things got interesting as Covid-19 began to spread and the realities of the pandemic set it. In the new virtual world, the Founders began searching for the inaugural Board of Directors. By June 2020, the searching and interviewing concluded and we had our first 15 Board Members.
Pride Alumni Network’s Timeline
January 2020: Pride Alumni Network Founders accepted by the University and tasked with creating an inaugural Board of Directors with an application process that would be disseminated to 377,449+ alumni.
March 2020: Covid-19 begins to shut down the US and SIPs rise across the country - everyone shifts to a completely virtual world.
June 2020: The Pride Alumni Network logo approved by the University.
June 2020: First 15 Board of Directors are selected.
July 2020: The inaugural Board of Directors of the Pride Alumni Network formally adopted by the National Board of Directors
Sept 2020: First general board meeting; committees created and assigned.
Dec 2020: First official event; held virtually
Dec 2020: First fundraising drive for CCYS; collected supplies for LGBTQ+ homeless kids living in Tallahassee
March 2021: First year participating in The Great Give. We are proud to have raised over 156% of our fundraising goal. We used these initial funds to support the Pride Student Union on campus and to give LGBTQ+ students a named space in the new student union on campus. The remaining funds will be saved for a scholarship endowment for LGBTQ+ students.
June 2021:, Our first Pride Night Event – Trans Rights – Drag Show