NIQ Profiles - Karen FrostAreas of Study:
B.A., Communication, 2003
M.A., Communication, 2004
Campus Involvement:
Prism
Peer Mentor
Community Advisor
Activities/Career Path since graduation:
Assistant Director, KCCI-TV, Des Moines, IA
Freelance videographer/editor
Director of Broadcast Services, Signature Media Group
Executive Producer, Sable Trail Productions
My favorite LGBTQ thing at NIU is … probably the Prism dances!
My involvement on campus has helped me by … Getting involved led me to become a leader in the community, doing what I could to provide other students with the same positive experience that I had. My experience with the LGBTQ community strongly contributed to who I am today. The values, ideas, and confidence I received through my involvement have contributed to my success in my professional life after college.
NIU is a good school for LGBTQ students because … I never knew how good I had it at NIU. Many universities around the country do not contribute any sort of funding towards education about LGBT issues. The LGBT Resource Center and Prism are the most supportive groups I've ever seen. Many LGBT groups and offices do a good job of ignoring the B, the T, the Q, and even the L parts of the acronym. Every letter, and even letters that aren't included in the acronym, are supported, and education is always sought out if it seems as if a certain group of people are not being understood. I have never met another group of people in the LGBT community as accepting and open to education about unknown issues as the LGBTQ community at NIU.
The LGBT Resource Center offers … Beyond educating and promoting awareness of LGBTQ issues on campus, the LGBT Resource Center provides materials, referrals, and educational outlets to address LGBTQ individual and group issues.
The LGBT Resource Center has helped me by … The LGBT Resource Center made me a leader. I received a lot of education about LGBT issues and I was provided with an opportunity to use that education to help and encourage others.
I use the resource center to … I mostly took advantage of the library; it was the easiest way for me to find fiction books featuring LGBT characters. I also enjoyed meeting and hanging out with other LGBTQ students in the Resource Room. Many of my fondest moments in college are associated with Prism and the LGBT Resource Center.
My experience as an LGBTQ student at NIU has been … Like most LGBTQ people in their first year in college, I was very confused about my sexuality. My experience with Prism and the LGBT Resource Center helped me become more confident and comfortable, not only with my sexuality, but with myself as a person. This experience led me to become a leader in the community, helping me identify a cause that was close to my heart, and work very hard to do what I could to provide other students with the same positive experience that I had.
My advice to current LGBTQ students would be … I strongly encourage people to get involved. My experience with Prism provided me with very strong leadership skills, a sense of belonging, along with the feeling that I was making a positive impact on other students' lives. Of course, it was a lot of fun too!