Serving as Creative Director for iQueeries has been one of the most meaningful leadership experiences of my time in college. As part of a Registered Student Organization centered around providing opportunities for queer students in Informatics, our mission is to create a supportive space while also providing resources tailored to queer students navigating the tech field. In this role, I am responsible for designing Instagram posts for events and resource sharing, and making sure that our messaging is both visually engaging and accessible to a wide audience. I have also gotten to do some art for posts and for other items like stickers, which has been a lovely way to contribute. 

Beyond leading design, I work closely with a team to identify what kinds of resources and events would actually support students. This requires listening to peers’ experiences and recognizing that access to information and community is an incredibly important resource. This experience also deepened my understanding of advocacy as something that happens in everyday actions, not just large-scale movements.

Our events are educational, but they can also be restorative, and some are centered around socializing and getting to know the community better. It has been a lot of fun to have conversations with members, play games with them, plan and go to events, and learn more about what students are interested in. All of these efforts provide collective support to our community, and hopefully help students in our major feel safe to be themselves.

This role ultimately taught me that design can be a tool for care. Through something as seemingly simple as an Instagram post, we could connect people to opportunities and build networks of support. Being Creative Director at iQueeries gave me a way to use my creative skills to contribute directly to my community, and to hopefully keep building it.