NEIU students attended the “Out and Proud in the Work” town hall at the Angelina Pedroso Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs on March 25, 2025. This town hall was hosted by Jared Scovill, an intern from the Career Development Office, where five panelists shared their personal experiences navigating work with their LGBTQIA+ identities.
Since none of the panelists were NEIU-affiliated, Scovill explained that the biggest challenge was finding panelists to come in, so he aimed to have five to six panelists for a diverse range of perspectives.
“When you’re inviting people who are not affiliated with our school into our school, they want to have the opportunity to share their stories,” Scovill said.
At the event, the career resource guide for LGBTQIA+ students was shared with those attending. The guide is also available at the Career Development Office located in Room B-119.
Olga Shalaeva, an undergraduate student majoring in political science with an interdisciplinary studies minor, helped organize the event as social media manager for the Career Development Office.
“I was looking forward to NEIU students being introduced to the out-of-campus community,” said Shalaeva.
The panelists at the town hall agreed that it is a personal choice whether to disclose or conceal your identity at work, especially since every organization’s culture is different.
Antony P. Verdino, panelist and a clinical social worker, suggested the soundboarding technique during the interview process to establish a baseline of comfort in sharing.
“Screening for my personal needs of where I want to work and with whom I want to work with,” Verdino said.
Jeffrey Hamm, former vice president of digital experience and operations at Ulta Beauty, shared that it was a personal journey for him. While Hamm never felt pressured to disclose his identity as a gay man, he wanted to be his authentic self, as hiding his identity was exhausting.
Hamm recommended researching the companies’ policies and the rights of workers to decide whether or not to disclose your identity. One suggestion made by another panelist is to maintain a clear boundary in the workplace to avoid disclosing personal information.
“Work is not my family,” said the panelist with experience in the public health field.
This advice might be helpful, especially when colleagues might ask questions about LGBTQ issues, which might be difficult to approach in the workplace.
TJ Sandstrom, a transgender man and panelist with over five years of experience in corporate sales and customer service, explained, “The education part is fine because I can speak about my story and my experiences, but it’s important to note that my story is not the same as everyone else’s. Don’t generalize.”
Another panelist, a trauma specialist who is Afro-Indigenous, added that there are specific nuances layered for women of color. She noted the motivation for education can be based on genuine curiosity or a voyeuristic question.
While some companies might provide sponsor-inclusive education, another panelist recommended that it is a choice to educate, that it is not anyone’s responsibility to educate people at work.
Most of the panelists expressed positive experiences of being out at work as affirming in finding community and allyship.
“Figuring out your set of needs at the time because it is always changing.” Verdino replied to a student’s question on how to stay true to yourself in a sense of urgency, “You’re not going to get all your needs met, so diversify what you are doing.”
After the town hall, NEIU students and panelists ate empanadas together and continued their discussion.
Archie, a transfer student majoring in psychology, said “One of the major things I’m going to take away is you need to find communities and relationships to fulfill your needs that you can’t just get from one place, which is very true, because I only had one job and I wasn’t out.”
