Ford School graduate student Anna Verduin Pomper (MPP '24) was among four graduating University of Michigan students and a student organization recognized by the Spectrum Center for their outstanding contributions to campus. Pomper received the Excellence in Student Leadership Award, given to a member of the graduating Lavender Class or student organization whose work throughout the year has made a lasting and significant change in the LGBTQ community at the University of Michigan.
Pomper “approaches community-building through fun, and sees fun and joyful engagement as a central aspect to processing our experiences as queer individuals,” noted one nominator. “She has truly transformed the atmosphere for LGBTQIA+ students through her leadership, kindness and passion,” said another. Pomper has helped lead student organization Out in Public as its social chair, spearheading a variety of social events, a Pride in September school climate initiative, community book shelves, and engagement outside the school. She is graduating this May with a Master of Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
Other awardees include Dr. Oluwami (Wami) Dosunmu-Ogunbi, Joseph Pearson-Green, Atticus Jean-Josephine Spice and LGBTQ+ Nursing.
All five outstanding recipients were honored at Spectrum Center's annual Lavender Graduation, a year-end celebration of LGBTQIA2S+ graduates that originated at U-M in 1995 and is now held at schools across the United States. This year, Michigan's Lavender Graduation was co-sponsored by the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs, Rackham Graduate School, and Michigan Engineering's Office of Culture, Community, and Equity.
Read the full story, originally written by Nick Pfost and published by the Spectrum Center here.