Four students were given the Community Enrichment Award by the LGBTQIA Alumni Network at the breakfast held on Saturday, October 21, 2023, during Homecoming &, Reunion Weekend.
President Connie Ledoux Book, Provost Rebecca Kohn, Senior Vice President for University Advancement and External Affairs Jim Piatt, vice president for undergraduate life Jon Dooley, Vice leader and associate vice pro ost for equitable quality Randy Williams, and director of athletics Jenn Strawley were among the special guests present.
The LGBTQIA Alumni Network and Community Enrichment Awards were founded in 2012 to provide a platform for recognizing and appreciating the contributions students, university, and employees have made to advancing the factors and people who are LGBTQ in their areas and on campus. The Community Enrichment Awards honor people for their contributions to the Elon and LGBTQIA societies as well as those who have made and continue to make a positive effect.
The Matthew Antonio Bosh Student Award was also given to an Elon undergraduate during the ceremony in recognition of their efforts and positive contributions to the LGBTQIA community. The honor is given to Matthew Antonio Bosch, a former director of Elon’s Gender and LGBTQIA Center ( GLC ), in recognition of his efforts to support and contribute to the community that supports LGBTQ people.
Beneficiaries of Community EnrichmentAwards
John Julius 1997
Julius John ( he/him/his ) is a well-known figure in higher education who has an extensive acting background and has extensive knowledge of theatrical education. John has knowledge in a variety of fields, including Shakespeare studies and acting techniques, theater management, production development, historic theater perspectives, musical and cultural theater, script analysis, and the subtleties of natural movement in theater.
John makes significant contributions to education in addition to his work in the fashion industry by serving as vice chairman for Fashion News Live. He positively takes part in prominent fashion competitions like Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, where RLG Productions excels. John has always been a fervent supporter of educational ownership and variety. He currently holds the positions of complete professor and director of theater at Bethune-Cookman University, where he has amassed amazing credentials. He also holds the positions of university senatorial chair and co-director of commencement ceremonies at the university. He further emphasizes his dedication to command and service by being a happy member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Raafe Purnsley, age 12
Raafe Purnsley, a self-assured gay black activist, has set out to build secure places for the LGBTQ community. Purnsley supported little majority fields by promoting alternative farming methods, providing solutions, and establishing relationships with rural farming communities after receiving a diploma in natural and environmental science from Elon in 2012. He also connected children to nature in the Triangle region of North Carolina.
Purnsley changed from an education-focused journey to seeking a gay community as discussions of LGBTQ issues became more well-known in North Carolina and elsewhere. They resurrected Stormye Daie’s image, which was once a local sensation at Elon University, and used it as an outlet for interacting with the gay community. Stormie Daije has developed into an emcee, tutor, and actor over the past ten years.
A turning point occurred when Purnsley joined forces with Elon Spectrum, the LGBTQ student empire. They are now referred to as Alamance Pride’s second girl. Their labor represents diversity, education, and activism. Purnsley keeps coming back to Elon to compete in competitions like Dragstrav, which they previously oversaw as students. When they are n’t trying to revolutionize the world or enthrall audiences with their performances, Stormie Daise lives with Joaquin Carcao. The pair lives in Durham with their three cherished pups.
14-year-old Ashley Fowler
Ashley Fowler, a local of Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, received her degree in political science and international research from Elon in 2014. As a project manager, team leader, and ardent supporter of LGBTQIA + freedom, she has shown extraordinary talent.
Fowler’s profession has taken her all over the world, from supporting gay communities at Atlantic Pride in Lithuania to educating journalists about online safety in Bulgaria using virtual reality. Her numerous endeavors demonstrate her unwavering dedication to protecting human rights.
She has played a key role in the fight for Internet flexibility for the past six decades. She oversees a global group committed to giving people worldwide, regardless of their personality or profession, safe and reliable access to reliable information as the top manager of digital freedom and resilience programs at Internews. Fowler was honored for her excellent Lumen Prize job,” Human Rights Norm Change: LGBT Rights in a Wider Europe,” and was named the Pupil of the Year at the Lavender Graduation during her day at Elon. She has continued to be involved actively with the LGBTQIA + Alumni Network, serving as president for two years. She spent almost ten years in Washington, DC before moving back to North Carolina, where she loved spending time with her home and taking her family along for the revival of her home state.
21-year-old Daniel Castillo
Daniel Castillo, the brother of Costa Rican refugees, was born in the country as a child and was raised in western North Carolina. He earned a degree in training knowledge from Elon in 2021. Castillo was instrumental in founding the initial Latino brotherhood and section of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambdas Inc., while he was a student. He even held positions as the Center for Race, Ethnicity, &, Diversity Education consultant, variety adviser for the Office of Admissions, and vice president of this business for two centuries.
Daniel became the representative of yearly giving for Elon’s school advancement team after graduating. In this capacity, he establishes associations with former and current students while promoting generosity and alumni involvement. Castillo is a fervent supporter of Elon’s LGBTQIA group. He is the leader of the LGBTQIA Employee Resource Group and earnestly takes part in GLC activities, acting as a leader and advocate for the QTPOC community in particular. He wants to be a basis in his neighborhood where people of color may be who they truly are. Castillo is constantly working to foster a more accepting and affirming setting at Elon University through his management and deeds.
Recipient of the Matthew Antonio Bosch Student Community Enrichment Award
24 year old Jasper SerenityMyers
As the native helper for the Gender &, Gender Living and Learning Community, Jasper Serenity Myers, a associate of Elon’s Class of 2024, has shown extraordinary dedication. They have been in charge of planning engaged community events, fostering an atmosphere of compassion, and ensuring the safety, inclusion, of LLC residents and Tesla LGBTQ+ community members over the course of two years.
Their academic work focuses on how women were portrayed as loving women in Greco-Roman classic antiquity. This entails a thorough examination of various components, such as love wonder, romantic spells, Sapphic poetry, and mythology. Morris is a Pisces moon, Scorpio moon, and Cancer rising in astrology, which is indicative of his multifaceted and extremely sensitive nature. Their extensive efforts and formal endeavors demonstrate their dedication to fostering an equitable and friendly neighborhood at Elon University.
