Editor’s note: This is an ongoing series of articles featuring KGLRC staff, volunteers and community members.
Jane Fisher, 17, first heard of the Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center a few years ago while attending Kalamazoo Pride, but it wasn’t until a friend began attending youth group meetings in June 2012 that she joined in as well.
“By participating in the KGLRC youth group, I’ve learned a lot about some of the issues that are important to the queer community, and how they impact people like me and the other people that go to youth group,” says Fisher. “I’ve learned a lot about myself as a person, and a lot about the other people that I’ve met.”
Individuals in the youth group were asked if they wanted to sign up to volunteer with the iCommit campaign in the fall of 2012. Fisher was too young to vote in the 2012 election, but knew she wanted to get involved in some sort of political campaign. “When the opportunity to get involved with the iCommit campaign came up, I took it. I put my name down. She called me a few days later, I signed up for a shift, and that was that.”
Jane’s favorite part about participating in the iCommit campaign was definitely the people involved. “I loved getting to know everyone involved with the campaign,” she says. “They’re all really awesome people!”
When she first volunteered with the iCommit campaign, she wanted to help out in any way that she could. “I guess I hoped I could better myself by learning more and getting a bit more active, and I hoped I could help out the KGLRC by giving as much time as I was able to,” she states. “I really just wanted to be able to help out and fulfill my responsibilities as a citizen and hopefully educate some people along the way.”
In addition to volunteer work at the KGLRC, Jane participates in youth group meetings on Thursdays and says they are fun. “It’s cool to be able to meet and talk with other people in high school,” she says. “Participating in KGLRC events has taught me a lot about the community and helped me get to know a lot of people I wouldn’t know otherwise. It’s also helped me become a lot more comfortable with myself and more aware of the people around me.”
When Jane isn’t busy volunteering or attending youth group, she works as a math grader for the Academically Talented Youth Program through Western Michigan University and participates on Kalamazoo Central’s mock trial team. She also reads, plays board games and goes to movies often with her dad.
“I’m really thankful for everything the KGLRC does to help out wherever they can,” she says.