When it comes to being a champion for others, there may be no better example than Kayla Leonard. Throughout her life, Kayla has found ways to support others in almost every space she’s occupied. From helping start a yearly scholarship program at her high school to creating LGBTQ+ training on Dearborn’s campus, Kayla helps make the people around her feel safe, comfortable and seen.

While providing support for others, Kayla has been presented with challenges of her own as a first-generation college student. This has included entering a challenging academic program, getting over the stigma of reaching out for help as well as navigating job interviews in her field. Thankfully, she has had someone to provide the same support for her that she’s provided for others. And that guidance comes from her older sister Rachel (a fellow UM-Dearborn alum).

“We are both first-generation college students, and although her degree differs from mine, she has always done everything in her power to help me succeed,” she says. “Rachel has provided unwavering support and taught me so much in my time on campus.”

Running a scholarship

In 2019, during her senior year, Kayla pitched the idea of creating a scholarship to her high school mentor. The scholarship, run through Romulus High School, helps benefit dependents of active duty servicemen or veterans.

The idea was quickly approved, and since then Kayla has been able to help award a scholarship to one student every year since 2020. Kayla explains that coming into this year she received short statements from each recipient of the scholarship. The statements detailed where each student is now and what they hope to accomplish in the future.

“As a student myself, I know how life-changing even the smallest scholarship can be, but the fact that I was helping make a difference in several students' lives didn’t click for me until I read the paragraphs they sent to us,” she says. “I hope to keep the scholarship running through Romulus High School in the years to come, and hopefully in the future, branch out to other communities as well.”

Creating safe spaces

One of the roles Kayla holds on campus is as a student employee in the Center for Social Justice and Inclusion (CSJI). The CSJI creates programs and events on campus that uplift the office’s mission to be an affirming, accessible, and inclusive space where learning and compassion are fostered through community and belonging.

As a part of the CSJI office, Kayla has had the opportunity to coordinate and execute multiple events on campus. Some of these events have included the Bisexual/Pansexual Paint and Pour event, the Queer Students in STEM TieDye event, and the Annual Campus Drag Show. All were successful events that helped promote inclusivity and diversity on campus.

When asked about the difference Kayla has made on campus, her CSJI supervisors had this to say, “We truly can’t imagine a more fitting award for Kayla than Difference Maker. The amount of time, love, care, and attention she has given to our campus community can never be repaid.”

In addition to coordinating inclusive events on campus, Kayla has also found ways to increase awareness and provide educational resources within our athletic department. As a student athlete for three years, Kayla suggested to her program manager that they host LGBTQ+ training sessions curated for coaches and administrative staff. The purpose of the training was to educate staff members on the experiences of queer/trans athletes and provide information on how they could make UM-Dearborn a welcoming space for all students looking to be involved in athletics.

“As an athlete in the LGBTQ+ community, I wanted to help foster an environment that other students in years to come would feel comfortable joining,” she says. “The feedback we received from coaches and admin during as well as after our training was very positive.”

Science and advocacy

Kayla is completing an undergraduate degree in biochemistry at UM-Dearborn. As a queer woman in STEM, she hopes to connect science and advocacy in her career.

“The biochemistry program at UM-Dearborn has challenged me and strengthened my love for science, but there was one class that really pushed me to re-evaluate what I wanted to do,” she says. “Dr. Shelton’s forensic science course helped me realize I wanted to use the scientific knowledge I’m gaining here for advocacy.”

Kayla goes on to explain that her current dream is to pursue a career in DNA forensics to become a forensic scientist. She hopes to work with organizations like the Innocence Project that use science to fight for justice. Generally, she hopes to uplift and prioritize marginalized communities within the scientific community.

“So much of the research conducted, especially medical research, is geared toward white folks,” she says. “When we prioritize the voices of women, LGBTQ+ folks, and multicultural folks in the scientific community, the quality of research and care expands to those identities as well.”