By: A.L Salazar Gil
When Jeremiah Jurkiewicz, director of the LGBTQ+ resource center, realized how many
students were discouraged from partaking in Support Group, he switched it to the highly popular Tea Time event instead.
Before it was dismantled in 2022, Support Group was held at the LGBTQ+ center in Room 226. Students who did not wish to take part would not have been able to stay in the room.
Now in 2026, the conference room next door to the center offers a new space, allowing
students to decide whether or not they want to join the sessions. While Jeremiah believes the
new room is, “a little more sterile, and bland,” he also believes that student intern Christina Mesa will have no trouble connecting with the students.
Christina, an intern at the LGBTQ+ resource center since fall 2025, believed
wholeheartedly that students deserved a private space for at least an hour so that they could
connect with each other. After discussing it with Jeremiah, she was approved to start Support Group again, this time running it herself.
While Christina doesn’t know exactly how Jeremiah led Support Group since she wasn’t present back then, Christina does know that she wants to make a safe space where everyone will be respected and supported.
The first Support Group last Tuesday made it clear that Christina is fulfilling her promise. She’s an incredibly creative person, and encourages everyone to find their own creative flame as well.
Painting hearts, making guidelines as a group, and planning more artsy activities was on the agenda, as well as sharing some personal facts through simple worksheets. Her goal is to keep things fun, and she does so through activities, and even brings in all different types of refreshments for students.
While she’s big on creativity and connection, Christina has no intentions to force anyone to
share. She understands how plenty of students in the center are shy, and won’t want to talk about
anything personal. She believes that patience and respectfulness can lead to the most quiet
students finally opening up.
The small group that was present at last week’s Support Group were regulars at the LGBTQ+ center, so there was no problem with having conversations and sharing. If a large group does form over the course of the semester, it’s no doubt that Christina’s charisma and other students can help newcomers feel welcome.
Overall, the new Support Group was a success due to Christina’s welcoming and thoughtful
nature, and the creativeness she brought to it. But she doesn’t want to be known as a “leader” or
the head of the new service.
“I don’t want to facilitate the group, I want to be part of the group,” said Christina. She also explained that she was a student herself and related to us in that way.
Christina reveals that she is a little uneasy about the idea of public speaking, but the students help her feel comfortable. The importance of connection, and showing respectfulness to one another is important for Christina, and she is willing to share her values to the students attending weekly sessions. With her at the helm, it’s clear that Support Group will continue being successful.
