The Voice of Pelham featured a column written by NC Outreach and Education Coordinator Alison Ryder entitled “Pride 2022: A journey taken together.”
The column shares the story of Ryder, a member of the LGBTQ2+ community, and her mother Ellen “Fro” Schmidt as a supportive parent. In the piece, Ryder writes: “This is a story to provide a different lens in which to see LGBTQ2+ in a small town, inspire growth through acceptance, and encourage everyone to be open to lifelong learning. Our community could only hope that we are all a little more like Fro.”
In the piece, Ryder comments on her role at NC and includes an example of how she impacted a student who identified as LGBTQ2+. “I was approached by a mom in a restaurant a few years ago, thanking me, as her daughter who identifies LGBTQ2+ attends Niagara College. The mother was grateful that her daughter has a professional role model to look up to, which profoundly humbled me.”
