Members and advocates of the LGBTQ+ community gathered in the Lakeside meeting rooms to honor several Elon University alumni and students. 

Jonathan Monti ‘08 said this event gives the Elon LGBTQIA Alumni Network the ability to connect not just as alumni but as an entire community.

“The enrichment awards are an opportunity for us as an alumni network to acknowledge the work of our alumni,” Monti said. “Sometimes we also include faculty or staff as well as there’s a specific award for undergraduate students as well to recognize the work that they’re doing.”

Monti said a lot of work goes into coordinating the event, which is organized by La’ Tonya Wiley, Assistant Director of Affinity Alumni Engagement. 

“It’s a lot of fun because you get to celebrate our alumni and their great work and commitment to the community,” Wiley said.

According to Wiley, the nominations are decided on by the alumni themselves. The names are then brought up to the leadership board of Elon’s LGBTQIA Alumni Network and they choose the recipients of the awards. 

Elon President Connie Book said during the event it’s a privilege to be able to honor students through their journey to finding who they are. 

Matt Belanger ‘05 and is a six-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and television news anchor in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received the first award of the night. He said how even though it took him some time to open up, he strives to be his authentic self. 

“There is power in being your authentic self,” Belanger said during the ceremony.“People respond well to authenticity, not always in a positive way, but they’ll respond. But I found out that the more I let go and I just was me out there, the more deeply I could connect with the television viewers and the listeners on the radio, and the more that I could try in my own little way, to be a bright light in what can be a dark world at times.”.

Alumni Matt Belanger, Brandon Allen-Marshall '12, Amy Belfer '19 and Elon senior Casey Spielman won awards.

“Elon is a much different place than when I was here and seeing how it has moved forward in an inclusive way, and that events like this exist and continue to exist is really what it gets to for me,” Monti said.