**** Producer's Note: The following is a general transcript of LCC Connect's weekly radio program. Contents include but may not be limited to podcasts, program imaging, announcements, and PSAs. More detailed and accurate transcripts of the podcast episodes featured in this broadcast can be found at LCCconnect.com or by following the links provided in the show notes of this episode. **** Hello, friends, and welcome to Coach Cut's Corner.

Streaming bright from Michigan's capital city.

This podcast is dedicated to helping you better understand the who, the what and the why of mental performance, personal growth, and Lansing Stars baseball. Down on the victory line. Coach Cuts Corner, brought to you by.

Eyewash in collaboration with Lansing Community College.

And now, here's your host, Stephen Kutter.

Welcome to Coach Cut's Corner. This is where we challenge limits, push for greatness, and dive deep into the mindset of high performers. Each week, I bring you insights from our program, conversations with athletes and coaches, and lessons that drive success on and off the field. If you're serious about growth, you're in the right place. Let's get after it. This morning in the WL&Z studios, I have assistant coach Jeff Allen and stars outfielder Matt Fountain. Welcome to the show, fellas.

Thank you for having me.

How's everybody doing this morning?

Phenomenal.

We're going to go over a little bit of your journey and a lot of other highlights. So you've been in our program for three years now?

Yep.

And the first time on the podcast.

Yeah.

What took so long?

It's the first time you asked me.

Okay. All right. So you were too afraid to say, hey, I'm in my third year. I should be on this show. Right.

I should have. Should have seen it.

Okay. How'd you get into baseball?

I got into baseball at a very young age. I want to say about three years old. Just started with my dad throwing a ball at me in the backyard.

And did he hit you when he.

Threw the ball at you? Maybe a couple times, but, you know, a couple times as I got older and when we played with football, too.

Okay.

You know, builds character. Yeah.

You know, you're. You're. You're pretty tall. You're like six, seven range. You know, your brother's taller than you, but we won't talk about that. But did you play other sports besides baseball?

Yeah, yeah, I played pretty much all you could think. I play lacrosse in the yard. Not competitively, but lacrosse, swim, basketball, football, soccer. I play golf now as well, so.

Okay, so in school, what. What did you play in high school?

In high school, I played football and baseball.

Okay, what position in football?

Receiver and kicker.

Kick off or for extra points, everything.

Punter, kicker, kickoffs. Yep. What's the longest field goal you've made? I want to say 35 yards.

Did you ever have to make a tackle?

I did, yeah.

Okay. Did something get blocked and you had to make a tackle?

Yeah.

How was that experience Exhilarating.

I was on my feet one second, on my back the next.

So you're playing baseball and football in high school. When did you realize that you wanted to play college baseball?

I realized, I want to say over Covid. It was me and my brother. We were sitting down in our gaming room, I guess you could call it now. And my dad came to us and he was like, you know, do you guys even want to play baseball anymore? Play college baseball? And we had been sitting down for the week or two weeks, whatever it was that we had off. Yeah, you know, just playing around and we go outside and stuff. But, you know, they really shook me then and there where I was like, I'm not doing what I need to do to go play college baseball. And me and my brother and then a couple of my buddies went and started going to the field every day, once, twice a day, and doing whatever we could just train as much as we can and prepare ourselves for that.

Was that or do you have another defining moment that kind of confirmed for you that you were on the right path to play college baseball?

I'd say knowing that I was on the right path was probably going to my first, I guess, like pre college showcase. I went to West Bloomfield High School, and that's right down the street from St. Mary's and their roster was stacked when I went to high school and there's a few of their players there and, you know, I was there competing with them and I was holding my own. I'm like, you know, maybe I am in the right spot to go compete and play at the levels that I do want to play at. And I'd say that held true, or it is holding true today, but it helped me to kind of keep going throughout high school and junior and senior year.

Obviously you ended up in the stars program. What was that transition like when you came in as a true freshman and you were transitioning from the high school level?

That experience is pretty eye opening. You know, you go from playing on a high school team where you have two to three, maybe four hitters that are really, you know, smashing the ball and you got to worry about 2, 912 guys and they can all hit for power, all put the ball out. And I think I was pitching, I came in as a two way and I was pitching and threw Hunter lay a first pitch, fastball inside, and I think he hit about 600ft foul.

At least it was foul.

Yeah, but yeah, rubbed some sweat off and took a breath of relief there.

You came in as a true freshman on the 50 win team.

Yep.

You know, that was a really special and loaded baseball team. And special in a lot of ways. Not just talent wise, but, you know, had a lot of special people on it and. Yeah, I asked you that question. Question. Because, you know, it's a significantly different transition from high school or travel ball into a really special team. And a lot of times you don't necessarily know it at the time, but you start looking back on a month or two months or at the end of the season or when you take your first trip to Mississippi and you're like, oh, wow, this is a little bit different than what I thought it was.

Yeah, no, for sure. You can tell the level of family ness and just leadership that we had on that team. And you know what, Noah and Hunt and Judai and those top leader guys had to really show and tell the younger guys and just take them under their wing. How they did was something special.

Yeah. That was super happy for you to be able to experience that. And I think you might have an opportunity to experience it again this season. We'll get to that a little bit. Babe Ruth said every strike brings me closer to the next home run. What's a challenge or a tough moment that you think may have tested you the most to this point?

I'd say 2A in college really tested me because, you know, you always say you have to give up something to get something. And I felt like I could do it for the whole year.

And when he's talking about 2A, he's talking about pitching and playing a position.

Yeah. Hitting. And it's a lot of work. You know, showed up early, I want to say hour, hour and a half, two hours some days to practice early and, you know, go do all my pitching stuff. And then I got to go over and, you know, no recovery time to go hit and do all that. And I think I kind of plateaued there for a little bit in the. In the spring of my freshman year season. And that kind of. That was just tough, trying to get over that hump. And I had to give up something to get something and give up pitching to get better at hitting.

So what did you learn about yourself kind of through that little bit of trial of resiliency and adversity?

I learned a lot. I learned I can do a lot more than I thought I could, you know, in high school. I think I signed here as a and had the two way opportunity. So, you know, I was kind of thinking like, maybe I do just want to become a pitcher and, you know, not really grind out all the hard work of two practices in a day and hitting and pitching. And I think that I learned, you know, I can. I can do a lot more than I think, and we talk about that a lot, too, with the 60:40 rule in the army and, you know, I think I learned through that and. And just being. Doing what you have to do consistently in order to get the results that you want down the road. And it's not just going to be an instant gratification.

Yeah. Really powerful stuff. Do you think back and. Yeah. Maybe I should have just been a pitcher.

I do that ever pop in, especially my brother now.

Because it's easier to be a pitcher.

Yeah.

Yeah. Than a position player. Yeah. Most guys got it made.

Yeah. Show up in your stretch and just plotting.

Just kidding.

No, they're both hard. But. Yeah, no, it's. There's definitely some days where you're hitting and it's such a high failure rate where you're like, maybe I should have just thrown the rock and.

Right.

You know.

Yeah. I mean, just throwing a baseball to a glove, even at the major league level, they're missing by like 12 inches every time. So. Yeah. I mean, there's no big deal to do that, but to take a round bat and hit a. A round ball, it's.

Hit it square.

That's challenging.

Yeah.

Hard work beats talent. When talent doesn't work hard, you're. You're known as a hard worker, and you've grown and matured a lot over your time here with the STARS program.

Thank you.

I think that you become a extremely hard worker, and I'm not going to say that you weren't a hard worker when you came in, but you just grown a lot more to be an extremely hard worker.

Thank you.

What's a favorite memory or a game that you've had while being in our STARS program?

Can I. Since I. Red shirt. Can I do one in New Jersey.

And you can do whatever you want. This is your podcast.

My podcast, yeah. Well, I'd say my freshman. There's so many from that 50 win team alone that could go down as, you know, favorite memories, our work with the kcs. I don't think I've ever seen Paulie as happy than when Hunt hit the home run for him or when we flew him down to Enid. So I'd say, like, just seeing Paulie smile and how happy that made him, I'd say that was definitely one of the coolest experiences I got to see freshman year and last year, I want to say I'd say the funniest is probably when Kevin hit the home run at Kellogg. And, boy, there's a little spin and jump if you ever saw that.

Incredible memories that you have. And you mentioned that the KCS Angels and you're. You're part of the KCS Angels team that goes in every Friday.

Yep.

To play games and everything else with them. And I know the feedback that I've gotten, not only the visual, but from Tracy and everybody else, is like, you're such a core member of that. I hope that you can keep coming back year after year.

Yeah.

So maybe you can redshirt again this year, get a fourth year out of you. But, yeah, I mean, that stuff sort of transcends time. There are these moments that happen in programs or in your sports career, and sometimes it's not the most home runs that you've ever hit or the most points you've scored in the game or the practices or anything else, but there's these things that stand out that you're like, wow, that was pretty cool.

I don't think you can really measure how happy you really make those people there you walk in and whatever mood they were in before just turns into instant joy.

It's a special thing for sure. What, what lessons have you learned in your time here? I spoke a little bit about the growth that you've experienced, which is somewhat of a normal maturation of a process as you get a little bit older and when you're in a high performing environment, that maturation process will typically go faster. What are, what are some of the things that you've looked at yourself and said, man, I. I've seen some growth out of that. What comes to mind?

I. I mean, you know, my past two roommates, Vinnie and Gaddy, and I've learned a lot from them. I'd say, you know, with Getty, it's. It's doing the stuff that you don't want to do when you have to, whether it's, you know, cleaning the dishes, you know, taking the time to fold your laundry after you did them, or, you know, you might have to move someone else's laundry over to the dryer if you want to do yours. So. Learned a lot from him about, you know, just doing the stuff that you have to do, and it takes five minutes. Just do it now. And Vinnie, just consistency. I think his attitude with everyone.

And what kind of teammate was Vince? The.

The best teammate you could ask for.

What a legacy.

Yeah, he. He's one of the nicest dudes I've ever met and you know, his attitude towards everyone and the consistency he had with how he treated people and how he went at the game of baseball. I'd say I picked up on, on both of those guys a lot and carry a lot within from them within me. And I say learning, learning, consistency and, and discipline both from both of them and growing within that. I've learned a lot from them.

Let's talk about mindset a little bit and I want you to think back to when you first got here. How has your mindset evolved?

My mindset's completely different. We, I came from a school that I hadn't. If you told me what mental performance was in high school, I would have looked at you like you had a third eye. I had no idea. I mean I knew, you know, if you think you're going to strike out or you say don't strike out, you're going to strike out but I, the level that we do it at is, is unreal. And I'd say, you know, just the self belief and your preparation and your thought process and how you speak to yourself and what you can visualize and see really, really matters and really took my, my game to the next level that I didn't think I really could.

What do you see with Matt? I mean you get to work with him a lot in indie work and obviously you're hanging out around our hitters, Coach Allen quite a bit. What do you see with Matt besides a big tall kid that's always, always usually smiling and pretty locked in? Because you know, the other thing with you Matt is you're not super vocal. That doesn't mean that you don't talk but you're typically not going to get loud whether you are having success or failure. You're just kind of, you know, emotionally, mentally pretty tough and kind of it's a, it's a, it's a great thing. But what do you see with him? Coach Alan?

One thing in specific that I notice about Matt is he's very process oriented. So and we actually just talked about it last night after Live Abs. Matt's telling me his process behind, you know, going through his, his hitters sheet and how he, how he game plans for when he's being successful at the plate and when he's not so successful and how he kind of looks back on the times where he is successful and uses that to help him get out of funks when he's in them and kind of going back to the mental side of the game. One of our first conversations was you coming back to the dugout with a helmet on, and I think it was my first. The first fall scrimmage that I was at. Matt's coming back to the dugout with a. With a helmet on, and it's like you getting ready to hit. No, just taking my mental abs. I was like, oh, man, that's. That's special. That's. That's advanced. You know, that's not something that you typically see out of a kid at the junior college level. And I think that that's kind of where Matt really separates himself is the modeling aspect. You know, he's not always super vocal, but he's going to go and do the right things every day, and he's going to go and have a process to what he's doing, and if he's struggling, he's. He has a way to get out of it, and I think that that's really admirable. Thank you. Yeah.

I'm going to ask you the hometown question, and I call it the hometown question, because we're not actually going to talk about your hometown. We're going to talk about the Stars program.

Yeah.

But I call it the hometown question because everybody typically will be like, oh, my hometown's the best. Has the best pizza place. You know, it's the best hometown. And. And if you've never gotten out of your hometown, then you don't necessarily know that there could be something else better out there. So when we asked our players about the Stars program, some players have been in other programs, but for, like, you, this is your first college program.

Yeah.

So this is the hometown question for you.

Yeah.

What's.

What.

What makes our Stars program different?

I'd say just the level. The level of competition and the bought in this. That. That we can achieve and. And we have, you know, not a lot of programs do a lot of the stuff that we do. And if not, if everyone's not bought in, then you're not going to have the success and. And the comradery that you want as. And also, it's further than just being together at baseball. It's, you know, everyone at the apartments or, you know, doing it, going bowling or going out and, you know, playing football or basketball together and, you know, keeping it competitive and doing stuff together and growing that friendship.

If what you say is true, then how do we get the buy in? In your perspective?

I'd say the buy in really comes from the older guys. When.

Because usually buy in is pretty hard for people that haven't experienced something like that. Right. Something out of their comfort zone.

Yeah.

You know, something that's not a norm. What do you see?

I say it comes from, like, the older guys, like someone like myself this year in the fall, if. If I'm not talking highly about buying and in the stuff that we're doing and, you know, people are asking questions and I can't give them an answer that makes sense or something that they would want to, you know, use what we're doing it for, then they're not going to think highly of it to begin with. So no matter what you say or what I say, if. If they can't get a great first representation of it, then. Then there's no use really for it at all.

We say things like, trust our process.

Yeah.

How hard is that to do?

Sometimes it can be very hard, especially if instant gratification plays a huge role. So if you're not. If you're not looking down the road or, you know, trusting and everything is in your process for down the road and stacking bricks. So if you're not trusting your process and, you know, following that, it can be really hard to get the results you want down the road, but to follow your process can be even harder. When you're in a hole and, you know, you're struggling, you know that your process is what got you there. But it can be harder, but it take you down.

It's definitely most important to continue following it. Marcus Aurelius says, and you guys hear a lot of stoicism and get a lot of stoic quotes on a daily basis, but you have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this and you will find strength. What are you working on right now to improve?

I'd say I'm working to improve on my mindset right now, especially coming off for the season.

How do you do that?

Just preparing myself in. In every at bat and every scenario and stadium that I can think of.

Do you take notes after?

Oh, yeah. Yeah. In lives, I've been taking notes of how many pitches, what, you know, what the outcome was. If there's a number for exit velocity, I'll write that down and what pitch it was, too.

So why do you think that stuff matters?

It's all there for me to remember when I want to look back on it or if I am doing well or doing bad down the road, I can look back and see what was going on and what I was hunting and thinking that day.

And details matter, right?

Details do matter. Absolutely. Absolutely.

What kind of goals do you have for this season?

Team goals. I want to Win a national championship. Personally, I have it written on my wall. I want to be NJCA player of the week at least once. I love that.

Is it in big writing or.

Oh, yeah, big writing stars next to it. Underlined.

Where do you get the thought process to write stuff on your walls or mirrors?

I'd say it comes down to those big three leaders I had freshman year. You know, I go up to Noah Bright's room and he had a picture of Michigan Stadium. Ironic. He's at MSU now. You know, he had a picture of MSU up on his mirror and he had goals written out. And I want to be blank draft pick and want to be the best hitter in the MLB and in college.

It's affirmations and it's manifesting, and you got to stack a lot of bricks, and you might not end up at the end of the road where you thought you were going to go, but you definitely look back on it and you're like, wow. You know, this was. This was quite the process, and it probably took me a little bit longer than I thought it might, and it might have been a little bit harder than I first envisioned, but manifesting and affirmations are extremely powerful stuff, and I know you do a lot of that. What about beyond this season? What are you.

What are you aspiring for beyond the season? I want to be the best hair I can possibly be, and I. I'd love to be the best here in the mlb. Okay.

I thought you were going to say that you want to be a professional golfer because you were talking about that you've been dropping.

I just picked up golf this summer.

So are you pretty solid at it?

I'm pretty solid. Started off really bad.

So, Jeff, isn't there some kind of saying that the golf swing messes with the baseball swing? An old school saying.

Yeah, I've heard that, but I don't think my. My swing has ever even been close to a normal golf swing to mess up in my baseball swing. So, I mean, if. If you're. If you're great at golf, I would imagine it would be, yeah, a bit of a hindrance.

We talk a lot about legacy in our program. Do you like that?

Yeah, I think. I think it means a lot to the program.

What type of player and person do you want to be remembered as?

I want to be remembered as someone people looked up to and they kind of went to as a mentor on and off the field, whether it's they need help in their approach or with a fielding drill or something like that, or they need life advice or help for a class off the field.

So you think you're going to see your pitcher up on a leadership board somewhere down the road with legacy under it?

I hope so.

Yeah. I think you're well deserving. All right, let's do some quick hitters and get out of here.

All right.

We'll do them with Coach Allen, too. We'll really put them on the spot.

All right.

Favorite baseball player and why my favorite.

Baseball player has to be Bryce Harper. Okay. I. I've been watching him since he was at Sienna Heights in Las Vegas and his juco, and I remember I was like, maybe I could do that one day. And then you got drafted and became a Nationals fan and you got traded, and now I'm a Phillies fan. So, Coach Allen, I would have to say Shohei Ohtani.

Okay.

Just because how he approaches the game, you know? Yeah. Yeah. We've never seen anything like it. All right.

Love that, Matt. Favorite pregame hype song. You're a big music man, so.

Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna have to go. Coach Allen's hearing me. Rack this in the card. Rock your body by Justin Timberlake. There you go. The walk up. No walk up for that one. I don't think. I gotta go AOK on the walk up again. All right.

Just. This one's just for you, Matt. Best teammate you've ever played with.

That's a tough one.

I know. It's a quick hitter.

That's a really tough one.

First thing comes to mind.

I'm gonna have to go, Vinnie, just because he is my roommate. Okay.

Vince Hardy.

Yeah.

If you weren't playing baseball, what sport would you play? And you can't say golf.

I can't say golf?

Nope.

I'm gonna have to go with swim. Swim. Michael Phelps. Action.

Nice.

No Speedo, though.

Coach Ellen, if you didn't play baseball, what sport would you have played?

I don't know if I would have been great at it, but I would have probably tried to play football just because I like the mentality behind it. I could see you running stuff. Yeah, yeah. Like safety a lot. Crack some pads a little bit. I'd mosh you. Oh, all right. Well, you got a little bit of height on me, so you might.

All right, last one here. One piece of advice you'd give to your younger self.

My younger self, I would have to say, go out there and train with intent and do it consistently as often as your body will let you and as often as you can because you're young yourself. You have a lot more health and energy.

So yeah, just keep believing, right? Yeah, yeah, for sure. All right, well, thank you fellows for being on the show. Make winning in life your habit, not your goal. Remember, excellence is a daily practice, not just a prize. Build great habits and practices that serve you so you can serve others. And don't forget to cherish the small moments they pass by in a blink of an eye. Until next time, thank you to all of our listeners. Ultimately, we are all playing a game we can't win, so why not play it to the utmost? Go all in and Go Stars Coach Cutscorner is recorded live in the WLNZ studios with the Dallian Lowry and Jeremy Robinson providing engineering and production assistance. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed today's podcast, please share it and follow us on all forms of social media. Our program has been built and maintained with the help of many great people. If you want to be part of our mission, you can donate using the link in the show notes below. You can learn more@coachcutter.com and more about our team@lccstars.com See you next time.

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Well, good afternoon, everyone. Magnolia and Lucas, I hope you know why you're here with us today because you are absolutely amazing. I've had the opportunity of meeting with each one of you. Oh my goodness. You have left indelibly written on my mind the words that you shared from the hearts that you shared it and made me think, wow, I can't just be the only listener. I'm sure there's so many out there who can be blessed, can be encouraged by who you are on your life's journey. So that's why you're here today. I feel extremely honored to have you both. So let's get started. How exciting. First question is, tell us a little bit about yourself very briefly. Your full name, location and some about your current work. Lucas.

I'm Lucas Van Dyne. I'm a full time English professor at lcc. Was born and raised in a small town in Illinois and spent most of my life in Chicago and moved here a couple years ago for this job. Happy to be here.

So glad to have you at lcc.

Yeah.

Amazing difference you're making, Magnolia.

I am Magnolia Larcon. I am from Guadalajara, Jalisco in Mexico, and I currently live in Knoxville where I am a student in Hispanic Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Thank you. And from the little I've heard about you too, Magnolia, amazing the difference you're making at utk. Thank you so much. All right, so let's get into some of these fun questions. Lucas, were there any childhood memories or moments that now, looking back, feel significant in understanding your identity?

Yeah, probably. Looking back on it in my late 30s, it's. I can't really understand why, but I didn't really like adult men as a kid. I was always kind of pushed from them and kind of gravitated towards, towards women and girls. And then that just kind of as I got older and started making friends, you know, as a gay boy, you know, girls were always the more accepting, so felt like that was looking back on it kind of made sense.

Thank you for sharing that. How did your family respond early or later to your identity overall?

Very positively. The most negative remark was from my dad who was, and I quote, not very happy with it, but it's okay. So. So my family was always very supportive and I, you know, grateful for that and I understand and appreciate that folks don't always have that experience, but I was met with some pretty resounding support.

For the most part.

That's amazing because I think we all will agree we need that community, we need that support. Thanks for sharing. Magnolia, I'm going to repeat it for you. Were there any childhood memories or moments that now, looking back, feel significant in Understanding your identity.

I became aware at a young age that I didn't fit the boy category because kids at school or my parents would make me aware of my own behavior by pointing out when and how I was behaving differently. And at school, that was a motive for kids to say mean stuff to me or to make fun of me. And at home, that was something that should not be at all. So my parents would scold me or tell me how to behave, how I should dress and how I should look like, and all three more boy like.

Yes. Yes. And same for you. How did your family respond early or later to your identity?

So my parents. I was in the US When I told them, and it was over the phone, so I didn't experience their reaction in person and in real time, it was just over the phone. But I told my mom, and she told my dad. And I know by conversations that I've had with them later on in my life, yes, they didn't take it positively. Like, I know that they weren't talking to each other for, like, a month. I guess they were processing everything that they already knew. But then again, when I was 17, I came out as a gay person. But then at the age of 29, when I had already come to terms with my gender identity, I guess I. I came out again.

Yes.

And that happened over the phone again. And I told my dad first, and he wasn't happy about it. I. I could sense fear in his voice of what my living experience was going to be like as a trans person. But of course, like, I had a conversation with him, and he expressed his love and support for me. And then when I talked to my mom, she asked me not to go back home again. And then she talked to my dad, and they. I guess they had a conversation. And then the next day, she. She called me and. And she apologized for. For asking me not to go back home. And. And she also expressed her love and support.

I'm glad to hear that. It seems it was a little tough at the beginning, but they worked it through with you, and that's so important. And it seemed you were patient throughout the process, knowing that they needed that time. Thanks. Yes.

Yes.

All right, so back to you, Lucas. So what kinds of support, or lack thereof did you receive from friends during pivotal moments?

Growing up and spending, like, my formative years in the inner city was very helpful. So I had a pretty big support network at high school. And, you know, so coming out as, you know, bisexual and then, you know, as gay, I had a lot of support around that there was no. Really no real lack of support anywhere.

That's tremendous. You got that both from the family and from friends. Right. That's absolutely amazing. What about you, Magnolia? What kinds of support or lack of did you receive from friends doing major periods of your life?

I guess generally I have received support and this translates into people allowing me to sleep in their houses and also talking to me about what could my life in the future would look like. Speaking from the times that I had to express who I am.

Yes.

But I also have experienced people stepping out of my life because they could not just couldn't really understand.

Yes.

And they just decided to. To leave. So it's been. Yeah, it's been a mixture of both, but generally people have been very supportive.

Again, I'm really, really glad to hear that. Lucas, it seems you had strong from both sides, family and friends. Magnolia, a little rough here and there, but for the most part, there were persons in your life and a community that you could have depended on. Lucas, even though you had that support internally and externally, what internal battles have you faced on this journey?

Always question myself whether I was the person. And as much as, you know, we like to say we don't care what others think, I mean, we do to some extent. And, you know, I was always, always worried, am I the person that folks think I am? I've always worried about being able to. And I understand that this is privilege, but being able to sort of pass, Frustrate.

Yes.

Just for. If I needed to in any situation.

Yeah.

I guess a lot of that is internally has revolved around if I'm either good enough or quote, unquote, like masculine enough. I used to think those things were, you know, very important with, you know, conservative parents. But not anymore. I mean, that's, you know, been the case for some decades.

But would you say just got better over time? That time was the solution?

Yeah.

I mean, time and just growing into myself as an adult and just becoming.

Self aware, understanding, accepting. Thank you so much for sharing that. Yeah, Magnolia, you too. I know you've had a mix of some support. Not some support, but what were those internal battles that you faced?

Definitely deconstructing the prejudices that society has implanted in me so that I could, I guess, live really or allow myself to express myself both as in gender identity terms and also, I guess, my physical appearance and just understanding that people will have different ways of expressing their identities. Yes.

Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. I can see that. Lucas, did you have language or role models to understand your Experience back then, when this all first started, Peripherally.

Yes. I had, you know, my mom was. She was in school for music, so she went to fine arts school, downtown Chicago. So she had a lot of gay friends, of course. So she would have parties at home and, you know, I would meet all of her friends and so I would sort of see, you know, adults. Gay people.

Yes.

So I sort of had that to look at, not emulate, but see that it was actually something that was out.

There and you are not alone. Yeah. Thank you so much. Magnolia, same for you. Did you have language or role models to understand your experience back then?

I didn't. I actually didn't know anybody that identified as gay or as a trans person, nor school instructed in these matters. So therefore, back then, I understood gender identity and sexual attraction as the same thing. And with that limited view as the basis, I thought that I was a person attracted to the same sex.

Yes.

Which we would understand as a gay person. And coming from that, I thought that everyone that felt that way. We're also battling with the internal identity. That obviously changed when I started learning more language about it.

Yes, I can understand that. For now, though, moving away from family community for a little bit and friends, want to focus on each one of you because as I said, you're here today because I'm absolutely impressed with both of you, what you've gone through, who you are today. I feel privileged to be a part of your lives. So, Lucas, what does your identity mean to you? I'm very interested in that.

Well, it's a loaded question a lot. One of the things that I noticed when I was applying for a job here was that there was no gay or gay adjacent club that had apparently been disbanded. So that was one of my big things when I was interviewing here. So I guess it's like the gay part of my identity. It's. It's not. It's not my entire personality, but I do. I'm proud of it, and I do try to use it to my advantage when I can. And I've been thinking about how to answer this, and I just. I've not come up with a good way. So. Yeah, I mean, I could kind of go on about what my identity means to me and how it's shifted over the years, but being able to accept myself has also allowed me to accept and love others.

Yes.

That's been really big.

Well, for someone who didn't think he could answer the question, you did a great job with it. And would you say from the time you interviewed to now, do you feel there's more awareness or acceptance for gay students at lcc?

It was only two years ago, so I feel like the institution does support LGBTQ folks.

Yes. Gladiator, you and I have talked through the Office of Empowerment. We value every human being. Yeah, right, Exactly. You're a star. And so, as we have shared with you, we're going to be making more and more efforts to be sure there's a high level of inclusivity. Magnolia, you too. What does your identity mean? Mean to you personally?

It is liberation.

Yeah.

In order to explore me internally and allowing myself to do things and also to have a sense of independence.

Yes, yes. Really, really important. Having that freedom. Love both of your answers. The other question I wanted to focus on is what misconceptions about your identity would you like to address, Lucas?

I don't know. I get where we don't all like the same things. I mean, if I were to. I mean, I'm not. If I could, I guess, circle back to one of the questions. Clearly, I realized that, you know, I always felt like I wasn't gay enough for the gays or sweetheart, for this. I'm not someone that likes to go to clubs. I'm not into a lot of the popular music that a lot of my gay friends are into. More of, like, older rock stuff. So it's really just interesting. So, yeah, I guess we. We don't all like the same things. We're not. We're not homogenous.

Yes.

You know, we're not all. I don't know how the word to describe it. We're not all predators. I guess a lot of people think that gay folks are. Are predators to some extent, and that's definitely a myth.

No. Thanks for sharing that. Thank you so much. Same for you, Magnolia. What myths or preconceptions about your identity would you like to address?

People tend to think that trans women. Just because. Identifying with femininity. Trans folks have to. At least from my perspective. Perspective as a trans woman, that I have to hyper feminize my expression, whereas I'm just another person.

Yes.

So the fact that I. I don't feel the need to. To hyper feminize my mannerisms or my. The way that I dress. That doesn't make me any less of a woman.

Yes. Thank you for sharing that. You're both in the education arena. Right. And we have lots of young students on campus, some who may question or struggle with maybe being gay or transgender or so on. What would you say, Lucas, to a young person who just doesn't know what to do with it. You know, should they hide? Should they come out? What would be your advice?

Well, coming out in certain contexts can be dangerous. I'm speaking people that can't see me. I am a white man. I look like a straight, conservative white man. So I can say this comfortably, but I understand that folks can't always do this. Lean into yourself and be yourself when you know, when you're comfortable being. So, you know, I would say don't forsake parts of your personality or your happiness to make others around you comfortable. You know, don't be quiet to make other people comfortable, but also keep yourself safe.

Thank you. Good advice. Magnolia, what would you. What would be your word of advice?

That whoever you know you're inside, you should accept that and shouldn't limit yourself to. To feel the way that you feel. But of course, if you are not in a safe environment, it's up to you to what extent you can express the person that you are. It is definitely necessary to be in a safe environment in order for you to fully be yourself. So I guess first accept yourself, but also understand that you need to be in a safe environment in order to express yourself.

Yeah, good advice. I'm learning just listening to both of you today. It's really, really important for me to leave these few things with you. And in your own words, Lucas, just lean into yourself. Just be yourself. Right. Magnolia, love, when you said don't limit yourself. Right. I want you to believe with all your hearts, as I do, that in this world today of eight plus billion people, there's no second, Lucas. There's no second. Magnolia, you fill a space that nobody else fills, and no one can fill it as well as you do. So be confident. If you are not wrong, we have lost a major piece of life's puzzle. Stand strong on that. Stand very strong in that. When you wake in the mornings, remember, I'm stepping out today to make a mark that no human being can make. And I also hope that as you both look into the mirror, that you see what I see. Two amazing persons. And I really can't emphasize it enough, I feel really honored and privileged that you would have spent time with me, whether on webex or in my office. I tell you honestly, Lucas, after our first conversation, I remember leaving the campus feeling such encouragement that there's a human being who believes in who he is and who's confident, you know? And Magnolia, not only I've heard a lot of positive things about you, but when I met you as well, it was a wow for me right now. Having said all that we've said, I know at times it's not easy, but it's important also that you understand I can't think of one single human being on this earth that is perfect. So let no one make you feel less than the amazing person that you are. So I really, really want to thank both of you and just wondering, are there any final thoughts that you would like to leave with us? Especially with all that's happening and spinning around us? Is there anything you like to say to an audience listening to you today? Any final words?

Keep yourself safe.

Yeah.

And that these kind of spaces are very necessary in these times because then it allows for. Yeah like experiences and information to spread when being outside is not as safe.

Yes.

To do so.

Okay, so keep being who you are, continuing to share words of encouragement with others. I don't have to tell. I've told you before, but it doesn't hurt to say again. Love you both very, very much.

Love you as well, Dr. Dan.

And you know that I'm here for you and thank you for touching my life and helping me to see further.

This concludes today's episode of you Are Invited, hosted by Dr. Dale D. Dan. We hope this episode inspired you to reflect on your own experiences and share them with us. For additional resources on diversity and inclusion, visit us at lcc Edu Empowerment. We'd also love to hear your thoughts. Send your comments or questions to you are invitedtar lcc. Edu. Your voice helps shape future conversations. Let's keep building a stronger, more inclusive, inclusive community together. This is LCC Connect.

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