Hello. You are listening to who's that Star? On LCC Connect at Lansing Community College. Who's that Star? Is a behind the scenes show where I sit down and talk with employees at Lansing Community College. This is an inside look at LCC, where you will learn about their passions, projects, what inspires them, both at work and in their personal life. This show is for you to get to know the great people behind the scenes at LCC. I'm your host, Julianna Blain, but feel free to call me by my name, nickname Juji, which is way more fun and way shorter. Now, are you ready? Okay, let's find out who's that Star. As I am sitting here in the studio about to talk to our star today, I'm really, really excited. This star is someone who I admire greatly for his courageous leadership and being an inspiration in many areas of his life, both at LCC, in the community, locally, and nationally. He's a former professional basketball player, has his own inspiring podcast, and is a mighty leader for the LGBTQ communities. All right, are you ready for the big reveal? Here we go. Our star is. Can I get a drum roll, please? It's Layne Ingram. Yay. Layne. Layne, thank you much for being here. It's hard to hear you over the roar of the crowd there. Thank you so much for being on the show.

Thanks for having me.

Yes. So I really wanted to have you here. I've noticed you do a lot of things here at LCC, from working in the President's office as special projects coordinator to head of the women's basketball team. Sorry, head coach of the women's basketball team. Which, I might add, adds a lot of value to our women's basketball team. To have a coach who is a former collegiate and professional basketball player, and you're also a pillar in the LGBTQ community and providing education and support both at LCC and in our community. And I really just want to say thank you for being on the show today. I'm all around inspired by you and your accomplishments, and I'm super excited. If you couldn't tell about our conversation.

Today, this is something I would come on this show every day if. If I get to hear this stuff. It's like the applause drum hole. Let's go. I literally am a star.

Yes. Your shirt says LCC basketball. I'm sure it says star. It has a picture of a star.

Correct? Literally.

Literally a star. Well, Layne, let's get right into it. Can you share with me and our amazing audience who's listening a little bit about yourself and your Roles here at LCC.

Sure. So I, you know, I've been at LCC now, let's see, nine years. So I'm getting to be, you know, it's been a minute.

Nine years.

Nine years. And so right now I work in the president's office. It's a job I've had for a long time. I had this job twice. When I first started LCC, I started in the marketing department. And that was fun. I did that for a while, went to the president's office, then I worked in student affairs as an associate dean, worked in IT as a creative coordinator and then back to the president's office. So, yeah, been around, seen a lot of stuff, worked with a lot of people. Um, and I get that, that question a lot. What do you do? You know, and as a special projects coordinator, I do a lot of special stuff. I mean, you're a very special person.

Right.

But I mean, you know, and it could be college wide to very small, to our office, to starting a club with the president, to doing an on campus event, to virtual events, to, you know, to the radio show. Right. To building LCC Connect. Right. So I mean, really I try to do what's asked of me in the greatest way possible. And that's kind of been a theme that's, that's been with me throughout my life in basketball, in, you know, in who I am. So, you know, bring that to work.

Yeah. And I've seen, as I shamelessly googled you and researched before our, our episode today, I. I couldn't help but notice what you just said. You seek to be great in everything you do, and that speaks for itself. I saw articles, I saw you just do really great work. And that does seem to be a theme that's very apparent. So tell me more about here at LCC. Like what? Maybe. I know you do a lot of different things, and even recently, you know, helping build LCC Connect, you played a huge role in that as project manager of. Project coordinator of the project. And you did an incredible job. We're here on the radio today, so nailed it.

Let's go.

Plug, plug. But yeah, tell me a little bit, like if you had to choose some of your favorite elements of the job or favorite things you do. Tell me a little bit about that.

This is such a great question, Gigi. Okay, so here's the thing. So the whole time I've been at LCC, I've had the absolute fortune to be able to work on things that I care about, you know, I mean, or that I like or that I enjoy. So I love marketing and I love media and I love videos and I love creative processes. Right. And so in every job I've had, I've been able to find a way to incorporate those. Right. So I've done a lot of videos for the college that I love, that I'm so proud of. And by I, I mean with the media services team, who's incredible here, I.

Got to second that.

We are just like second to none in know. Dave, Rob, Justice, Brock, they are fantastic. And I would work with them any day, anytime. But anyway, so plug, plug, plug. So I love that. And then also, because LCC is such an open place. Right. I've had the opportunity to do a lot of work for the LGBTQ community. And so we have a PRISM alliance employee alliance here who for a number of years ran our Pride events and our Trans Week events and our LGBTQ Icons events. And. And that. And that's helped both for employees and students.

Absolutely.

So that's. That's meant a lot to me too, to be able to ensure that the place that I work is open and welcoming to everybody.

Yeah. And just to speak to that, I've worked here for about two years. That's one of the biggest things I've noticed about working here is it's so inclusive. And I think, you know, your work really goes to show how that's been incorporated for students, for staff. I mean, you come on the campus and you belong here. You know it. And you truly. I truly feel that. And I really hope that our students and staff really feel that as well. I'm interested. You mentioned the PRISM Alliance. Can you tell me a little more about that?

Yeah. So there's a lot. There's a lot of movement going on right now. So PRISM was started quite a few years ago, maybe, let's see, almost nine, 10 years ago, maybe 12. And it was so that employees knew that, you know, there were others like them. That's how it started. Right. Like, there's. There are others on campus, and this is a safe place where you can, you know, come and talk or share your feelings or talk about how you're being treated. You know, that's how it started. And it grew to be something that, you know, we did on campus events, off campus events. We've held, you know, panels and, you know, movie showings. And so it's. It's really grown and it's. It's something that. That we love. And so what's. What's going right. Going on right now is we have a Transition with odi. Right.

So, and odi, could you speak to what that is?

Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Right. So they've expanded and they brought in some people who are kind of focused on creating a centralized program for the LGBTQ+ community of students and employees. So, you know, excited to see what they come up with from there. And so PRISM will continue to kind of support employees, you know, maybe focus on more off campus events, since we're all like grown adults, you know, and do things like that.

Beautiful. Yeah. Speaking to, like the events that are done here on campus and off campus in the future, I remember a couple of events stand out to me that I attended as a participant. One was the first time I met you. It was virtual is during the. The year 2020, which feels like a miss to everyone. It's kind of just hidden there. The year of the Pandemic. But cracking myself up, so I went to an event and it was called, it was during Trans Awareness Week. And it was a WebEx, like a video. And you had, you had created a panel of speakers. And I believe it had a really fun name. It was Hot Trans Topics.

Hot topics in the transmosphere.

Transmosphere, yes, I remember that. I really enjoyed that. And I remember even seeing our new president, Dr. Robinson was on the call. And I just thought it was so amazing how LCC as a workplace is making this a priority to help people feel like they belong. You know, a lot of people in the world, our students, our staff, I mean, we go through life and it really. A sense of belonging is very important to making your life feel fulfilled and complete. So I, I really like that we do that here. And that was the first time I met you. I was like, oh, it's Layne. And you led a panel and we watched some videos and had a discussion with other trans panel members. And I learned so much from that. And I remember just learning and you know, I had questions and you guys, you answered questions and it was just very open, caring. It was a really great environment that you created and I loved those events. So. Yeah, how was it, how was it creating that event?

I, you know, when we. The pandemic has really been something and we had to figure out a way to still connect with people. And Trans Week is especially important to me. You know, hits close to home. Like, for example, my birthday falls on Trans Day of Remembrance. You know, I don't know how that happened, but. Right, but so Trans Week is important to me. And so that event, we wanted to make sure that we, that we did it and we got it out there. And so I have a really good friend who actually I have a really good friend who's a trans guy and his wife came on and she's just a cisgender, excuse me, white female. And then I had a trans woman on and then another trans man, right. A trans Latina female and then a white trans guy. Just to give the audience an idea of the diversity that they saw. And you can also watch that panel at LCC Edu transweek if you, if you want to see that. But so putting it together for me was like, what do we want people to know, right? Like, what are the questions out there about trans people that people don't understand? And then what are the hot topics for us? You know, and obviously for us it's healthcare. It's discrimination, right? It's violence against trans people. Those are the things that are important to us. And then for the audience, you know, answering misconceptions or helping people understand what it's like to be trans or that this isn't something that you do for fun, you know. And so those were important things to me to get across. And I think, you know, you know, in a one hour panel, it's hard to, to really scratch the surface on those deep topics. But I think it was a good, a good start to the conversation. And LCC is a very bold and courageous institution for never saying no to a request I've had related to Pride or Trans Week. And that's fantastic.

I just kind of got goosebumps when you said that because I feel that working here, it's very inclusive, open. You know, we always want to. I noticed like the other employees that work here, I say we, it's, it's a priority to help people feel safe belonging, especially people that might not have a group that they fit so neatly into it. And though that I remember that panel like it answered questions that I had that I might, you know, not have known where to. I'm kind of struggling here. But it's, it was really, really a beautiful and informative way to present information and I really enjoyed it. So I can't wait to see more events from prism. And that's P R I S M prism, right? Well, beautiful. So kind of could you tell a little bit about where that passion kind of comes from to you mentioned you want to make LCC very inclusive and help people talk about these types of things. Can you talk a little bit more about where that passion and motivation really comes from? I can tell you're very fueled and passionate by it. So I'm just curious.

Yeah, I mean, I think we all want to work at a place where we feel like we belong. You know, for me, I came out as trans in 2017, and so I. I had already worked here for four years, and so that was gonna be a transition for. For everybody that I was working with in addition to me. And so I had. I had a great experience when I came out here. I mean, you know, I told people on a Thursday in a newsletter, and by Monday, everybody had switched to the right name, and we're working on the right pronouns. So.

Incredible.

You know, I think I. I think that was important to do here, and it helped me to see that. See where we might need help. It helped me to see where we were really good at. And. And so that's why it's important to me, because it's personal to me, but also because there's people coming behind me who might not have the voice or might not have the right circumstances where they can come out, and irregardless, they need to feel safe and they need to feel welcome when they're on our campus.

Yeah, that's very powerful and impactful. Yeah. A little speechless over here. No, but that. It's so amazing, and it kind of speaks to your skills as a courageous leader. You mentioned there might be people behind you that don't have the resources or the means to do kind of what you did or in the way you did. And I feel like you just really paved a great road, especially here at LCC, for people to. To be able to walk in those footsteps and really just accept themselves. Accept who. Who be able to just proudly be who they really are, which is, I think, what we all really need and want as humans. So the fact that LCC as a workplace, you know, thrives on that, and that's a big part of our priority, really. I. I really like that. I like that.

And I think. Yeah, I think it's important to. I mean, there's people that were before me.

Yes.

You know, I mean, so that, like, everything. You know, it didn't just happen for me. It wasn't just, you know, I mean, there were people before me who. Who did start talks, who came out, who said, we need to bring the safe zone here. I mean, there's. There's been work going on at LCC for a long time to make sure that. That this is a place where people feel welcome. And LCC, as a community college, what else are we supposed to be? You know what I mean? Like, what else are you supposed to be except for open to everyone? Like, everybody gets in everybody. And so, you know, as an institution, as people that work here, as people that interact with this college, you better be somebody who's open to everyone, because everyone is welcome here.

Could you. While you were talking, you mentioned the safe. The safe. I did some safe training here, and it was. It was the second LGBTQ event that I was involved in, and I remember it standing out as just really instrumental in how we communicate to employees. And, you know, one thing I've noticed here is everyone. Well, most everyone puts pronouns under their signatures. Just. It's very encouraged to do these things, and I think it just makes it easier. And, you know, there's just. There's just a beauty in that. I. I really. You know, I'm having trouble saying the words.

Little things matter, you know, I mean, they do. If you send an email to a student and you have pronouns there, that might be a signal to them that you're somebody they can trust, and that's important. So. Yeah. And that's a small thing somebody can do that doesn't hurt anyone. So, I mean, I think that's what you're trying to get at, right? Like, little. Little small things really build up. We made a concerted effort a few years ago to make sure that we had single stall restrooms, you know, in all of our buildings. We did a lot of renovations on campus, and you'll find single stall restrooms on. In almost every building here. And we made sure to put out guides on that. I mean, there's a lot of people who've done some great work, like Sarah Garcia Lynn and Jess Stevens and Daniel Thurman. A couple of those people aren't hearing. I mean, there's been people who have done some great work to. To move LGBTQ+ issues forward here.

So I love it. I love it. Carrying the torch. Okay. So it kind of. We were just talking about your motivation to do this type of work and this. You talked about people coming before you and that kind of encapsulating a lot of your motivation, you know, for the people in front of you and kind of honoring the people behind you as well, who kind of built this foundation. Yeah. Could you share maybe some words of wisdom that inspired you on your journey that you'd want to share specifically? Maybe someone who's facing some tough obstacles around gender and identity?

Yeah, that's a. That's a tough question. I mean, to me, when I came out, it was important. It became important that I use my Voice just because I had come up publicly. And so there was no. There was no getting around it. You know, people are gonna see me. People were gonna know this is my hometown. Like, I had the same job. It's not like it wasn't gonna be a secret, you know, right there.

Yeah.

So I felt some responsibility to use that to help others. And so what I've tried to do is tell people, you know, I can only be me and you can only be you, and exactly who you are is exactly okay. And. And I try to. To make sure that I spread that message around. Right. To. Not only if it's, you know, especially youth, but like to their parents. Right.

Yes.

What do you. What do you want your kid to remember about you when they told you something so important? Because make no mistake, it is important. And it's scary. And so, you know, to anybody who's out there struggling with that, you know, you're okay. You know, you're not wrong. Not wrong, you're okay. And, and there's a lot of people out there fighting to make sure that, you know, you have rights and you have health care and you're not discriminated against, you know, and if the, the family that you have isn't there, there is. There is other family out there. You know, there's. There's resources, like the, the Trevor project. There's resources out there, you know, check with your school, you know, find people and build community.

Yeah.

You know, so those are some things I'd say.

Yeah, that. That's very insightful. And specifically here at LCC, I remember you just mentioned, you know, find if your family isn't accepting. Find a family and a community. That is because we are here.

Right.

And they're, especially at LCC, just kind of talking about all the things that we do to prioritize that so that people do feel welcome and included and a sense of belonging and, you know, it. I think it's. It's courageous to be yourself because that can be very difficult, especially in, you know, the professional world. I. A little. A funny thing is, so my name is Juliana and I go by Juji. You know, I started working at LCC about two years ago and I, I kept, you know, I referred to myself here as Juliana, but everywhere outside of work, everybody called me Juji. So it was as simple as my nickname, Juji. Like kind of bringing that into, you know, my personal or, I'm sorry, professional identity. That was a little bit nerve wracking and it was simply a nickname. So I just. That small Example, it just really speaks to the courage that it takes to. To do things that help you truly feel like yourself and just knowing you're supported. So when I did, you know, go change to that nickname, and again, it's only a nickname comparatively to other things people might be dealing with. I had, you know, I reached out to somebody to talk to because I knew there were people that I could reach out to in, in the office of odi. What was the name of that again? Odi. I know the acronym, but Diversity and inclusion. Yes. And so from something as simple as a nickname to pronouns, to gender identity, like here at LCC, we really support it. We accommodate it. We. We love it. We want you to be you. And I just felt that. And it felt really good to be able to kind of experience my professional job as myself a little bit more because I think, you know, there's pressure to. There's kind of like that imposter syndrome. Right. Like, you know, I'm here doing this, and, you know, you want. For me personally, like, I wanted to appear very professional, which is good. You should be professional. But there was always that hesitation of, like, am I really truly being just fully me or not? So I think it, it can go a lot of ways, but that's a small way. I experienced something. Yeah.

And when you're more you at work, you're probably going to be better at it.

Yes, yes.

Probably gonna be better at it. I mean, I think the other part of that is when you decide to fully be yourself, you know, you do that regardless of whether you have the support or not. When, when that happens sometimes. And, and that can be tough too. And that's, and that's real courage and bravery. And there's people out there doing that. And so, yeah, you know, I'm, I'm. I'm happy with where LCC is at. You know, we, you know, we. We just launched our preferred and chosen name.

Yeah.

Initiative. And I mean, those are important things for faculty, staff and students.

Yes. Yes. Can you tell us a little bit about the preferred name for students that are out there listening?

Honestly, I mean, I think it's really just as simple as a form that people fill out. And that's actually great. Like, why make it hard?

Exactly.

You tell people your preferred name, and it's a first name thing. And so. And that'll go on people's file. So it's, it's been great for me as an employee. I mean, my preferred name has been changed for five years now almost. So that's, you know.

Yeah.

It's really great, but we've kind of, like, really institutionalized it, and I'm happy about that.

Love it, love it, love it. Be yourself. Be yourself here at LCC. That's what really matters. And like you said, I think you are happier when you're out. Obviously, if you're being yourself, you're happier. You know, you're in alignment with who you are, your personality, your strengths, your gifts. When you're, you know, not able to do that, you're a bit disconnected from yourself. So it's so important, especially as students, if you're figuring out what you want to do. Like, there's a. There's a real. It is hard to figure out what you want to do, much less if you're trying to please other people and not truly be authentic and, you know, honest with yourself, which is difficult to do. I'm not saying that's easy at all, but it adds so much. You know, if you're a student and trying to figure out your career, if you're able to just truly be you and channel like, this is me. This is what I like. This is what I don't like. This is the route I want to go. These are my values. It's so important to know those and honor those for yourself and find people that help you and support you in that, because it can impact your career. You know, where you go, what classes you take, who your friends are, what your friend circles are, are. So. I just. I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. You said that, you know, you're. You're happier when you are yourself and you're more productive. You know, you're. You're shooting in a straighter line towards what you want and what aligns with you. And I just. I find that so inspiring and important.

Absolutely.

Well, Layne, I think we're gonna go ahead and wrap up the show today, but I feel so lucky that I get to have you as a coworker. I really do, and I'm proud to work at ltc. We prioritize diversity, inclusion, and creating a supportive place to work, study, and really just truly be yourself. Thank you so much for being on my show.

Thank you for having me on your show.

All right, if you're listening and you'd like to get involved or learn more about LGBTQ activities and support here at LCC, here's a few links for you to check out. Www.LCC.edu pride. We've also got www.LCC.edu transweek. You can find quite a bit of what Layne and I talked about on those websites. Also, if you want to follow Layne's blog, Twitter and podcast for some authentic and inspiring content, check out the Rightlane blog. And that's L A Y N E Layne, the rightlane blog on Twitter. We'll find him at the rightlane.

See what I did there?

I did. I did. I love it. And then also we've got for Twitter for his podcast, @TheRmpodcast. All right, well, did you love this episode as much as I did? You can listen to it on Demand online at LCCconnect.org well, that is a wrap for today. Thank you so much for listening to who's that Star? The behind the scenes show where I sit down and talk to the employees at Lansing Community College. We spent some time today with Layne Ingram, and I'm personally inspired by his passion, accomplishments, authenticity, and how he uses his experience to help make LCC even more inclusive and supportive of each and every person and gender. We've gotten to know one of the great people behind the scenes at LCC. Again, I'm your host, Julianna Blain. Please call me Juji. I want to thank you so much for listening. Tune in next time and together we can discover who's that Star? You're listening to who's that Star? And you can listen to this show and others on demand at LCCconnect.org have a great day.