LEMONT FURNACE, Pa. — Brandon Demchak, a student at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, came out to his community at the end of his freshman year.
Demchak, a student leader on campus, serves on the campus Student Government Association and as special events caption for THON at Penn State Fayette — “but at the time, there wasn’t a club exclusively for the LGBTQ+ community and allies," he said. "I knew that I wanted a safe place on campus, a place to relate to others.”
In 2018, Demchak, a psychology student who aspires to pursue graduate studies or enter the counseling field, began collaborating with the Office of Student Affairs and campus Mental Health Counselor Amanda Collins to establish a new student organization: Pride Alliance Working for Students (PAWS).
“We worked closely with Brandon to generate interest in the student organization, assist in developing a constitution and provide grant funding for programming,” said Penn State Fayette Director of Student Services Chad Long.
Today Demchak serves as president of PAWS, delegating duties between eight members, including vice-president Jace Dennison. The group held its first event on National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, with financial support from the campus Student Government Association. Their informational booth on campus—with sidewalk-chalk art, free t-shirts, and music—was greeted enthusiastically by the campus community.