UofL grad student awarded grant from GLAAD

UofL Graduate Aisha Bibbs has been awarded the Rising Stars grant by GLAAD.

GLAAD (formerly the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), is one of the leading national LGBTQ organizations advocating for inclusion in media. GLAAD’s Rising Stars program empowers the next generation of LGBTQ change makers, whose advocacy is changing their local cities and the culture at large.

Rising Stars grants are awarded annually to LGBTQ youth who champion intersectional issues through advocacy. Bibbs, marketing director for the UofL LGBT Center, was one of only six students in the country to be honored. Bibbs had the opportunity to apply for the grant through her position as a GLAAD Campus Ambassador for UofL.

UofLNews had the chance to talk to Bibbs about her involvement with the LGBTQ center and how she will use the grant to help better UofL’s community:

UofLNews: What is your role at UofL's LGBT center?

Aisha Bibbs: My role as marketing director for the LGBT Center functions mainly as creating and maintaining visual content regarding much of the programming we offer. Some of my works include the 2016 Pride t-shirt, flyers regarding Cardinal OUTLook Day: a day specifically designed for prospective LGBTQ students, Annual Reports, materials for conferences, etc.

UofLNews: How/when did you become involved with the LGBT center? 

Aisha Bibbs: I became involved with the LGBT Center the very first day of college, at 18. I wanted to know more about the resources they offered, how I could help advocate for LGBTQ rights, how to meet students like me, etc. I became a part of the programs they offered, such as SpeakOuts, where students share their personal stories with classrooms across our campus to advocate and teach about the struggles we go through. From there it was just one event after another, and I eventually landed the position of marketing director.

UofLNews: Why did you decide to apply for the GLAAD Rising Stars Grant?

Aisha Bibbs: I became a Campus Ambassador for GLAAD, and through the program we were eligible to apply. I wanted to see if they would allocate funds for more advanced marketing efforts that would impact not only the university community, but the broader community of Kentucky and the South.

UofLNews: Can you describe the marketing project you did for the grant?

Aisha Bibbs: There was no specific marketing project for the grant application process, but some of the projects that helped solidify my portfolio included the Pride T-shirts, the Center’s Annual Report, and the materials for the Come Together Kentucky conference (hosted by UofL for the 2016-17 year). 

UofLNews: How do you plan on using the grant?

Aisha Bibbs: I plan on using the grant to cover a lot of the expenses that surround marketing, as it can get very expensive. Some of the ideas I have include covering fees for the 2017 Pride t-shirts, more advanced marketing kits for the LGBT Center to provide to other LGBTQ organizations and associations in Louisville, dissemination of reports on LGBTQ issues, such as how much help is offered to struggling LGBTQ community members, more advanced training for medical and emotional support students to better prepare for LGBTQ patients, etc.

UofLNews: What are your plans for the future?

Aisha Bibbs: I have been accepted into the MBA program here at UofL, so I will be continuing my graduate career here in the fall.