LGBT Institute Research Fellow, Spring 2016 Cohort
Calvin Tendai Pegus is currently an undergraduate senior, studying within the discipline of African American studies. As an adolescent, he was aware that he was destined to contribute to the field of Human Services. “Growing up as a Black gay man in the south I have seen and experienced so many different complexities in just accepting my sexuality and then the threat that it can have from external sources.” He understood early on that in order to address these conditions, it would require the interdisciplinary knowledge base, as well as the remediation of these problems. Calvin has had the opportunity to volunteer with Project Turnaround, which assisted LGBTQ individuals with becoming self-supporting, self-reliant, and self-sufficient individuals. Calvin’s ultimate goal is to procure a Master’s degree in Public Health with an emphasis on Infectious Diseases and Community Outreach.