Student is named an HRC Youth Ambassador

Lily E. Rood ’27 has been named to the 2024 class of Youth Ambassadors for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation.

The HRC Foundation’s Youth Ambassadors Program provides leadership opportunities to young LGBTQ+ advocates who are interested in raising awareness of HRC efforts to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ youth at home, at school, at work and beyond. As Youth Ambassadors, these advocates add their voices and experiences to bring attention to the most pressing issues facing LGBTQ+ youth.

“I’m excited to be joining a line of Youth Ambassadors who have done really inspiring work,” Rood said. “When I learned about the Youth Ambassador Program at HRC, I was really moved by the stories of the past Youth Ambassadors. I wanted my story to be one of those that would do the same for the next generation of folks who might be looking at the program and [its] leadership opportunities and see themselves represented.”

Rood will serve as a Youth Ambassador for two years. She believes that this position dovetails with her work as co-chair of Mount Holyoke’s Presidential Task Force for the Transgender and Gender Nonconforming (TGNC) Community and as the project coordinator for TGNC10@MHC, as well as her broader activism for transgender rights.

“As an activist for trans justice and equity existing at multiple levels at once, I want to be doing this work — from the most local, community-oriented points of organizing all the way up to the most broad, national conversations,” Rood said. “I’m really proud to be part of community groups that are supporting each other and trans folks on a very personal level. I’m also very proud to be working on an institutional level with the College and its history on TGNC10@MHC and also as the student co-chair of the Presidential Task Force for the TGNC Community. I’m also very proud to [engage in] national advocacy.”

“I think that they all are part of one journey to uplift trans voices and create a future that is more just and equitable for trans folks in all the ways that affect our lives. Trans rights are part of the conversation in every element of life in this country. Trans folks need to have our voices heard because there’s still a long way to go in ensuring that our institutions and our communities support people of all gender identities.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Lily to our team as a Youth Ambassador,” said Ted Lewis, director of the Youth Well-Being Program at the HRC Foundation. “Lily brings a wealth of personal, professional and academic experience to this role that we are all looking forward to learning from. We know that she is well-equipped to handle the task of representing the Human Rights Campaign, and we look forward to seeing her leadership skills blossom throughout the program.”