Harper College will be closed Monday, December 23 through Wednesday, January 1 for Winter Break.
Dr. Sonnet Gabbard is the coordinator for LGBTQ+ student initiatives at Harper College. In this role, she works closely with students, staff, faculty, alumni and community partners to serve Harper’s LGBTQ+ community.
Through designing quality programming, reviewing/developing policies, creating resources and coordinating support strategies for students, she assists in the implementation of the overall mission of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to foster a sense of community, belonging, and success for LGBTQ+ students and students from minoritized backgrounds.
But when she’s not supporting Harper students, you can find her at the local farmer’s market or singing Lady Gaga at karaoke night. Here are ten questions with Dr. Gabbard.
It’s pretty simple! I wake up in the morning, get my cup of coffee, sit in my favorite purple chair in my sun room, put my French bulldog Louie on my lap and enjoy my coffee. Then my partner and I go to the farmer’s market, come home, make a meal and watch a movie. Maybe that’s boring to some, but that’s a perfect day to me.
I’m a big Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan so I would choose Willow Rosenberg, who is Buffy’s best friend. Because, you know, I’m the main character of my story, so Willow’s got to be the sidekick. But she’s also queer like I am, and she’s arguably the most powerful character on Buffy because she’s such an amazing witch. And she’s also really smart so we could nerd out about really smart things!
When I was in college, I would always go with Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” because it’s such a classic. But since Lady Gaga became a thing, I would say now it’s “Paparazzi.” There are other Gaga songs but I love “Paparazzi” because it’s a good crowd sing-along, but it’s also a little slower so I’m better able to stay on top of the lyrics!
I think they would say my loyalty. I’m a Capricorn, so I’m loyal to my loved ones. I also think they would mention my commitment to social justice issues.
I’m a child of the ’80s and ’90s, so the side ponytail was a big move for me in elementary school. I was also a big fan of bell-bottoms, flared pants and cut-off flannel shirts that I’d wear as a vest. Oh, and I can’t forget the zigzag part – that was such a moment in the ’90s!
I think about the immense amount of universes and galaxies surrounding us and how we’re only just a teeny tiny part of that. It puts a lot of things into perspective.
As a little queer girl growing up in rural Indiana, I was in the closet my whole youth. So I would say all of the things that I never heard growing up. I would tell her she is not weird and that she’s actually a perfect person in terms of living her truth. I’d also tell her that she’s very smart because I didn’t really hear that growing up. And I would tell her that it’s OK to be loud and opinionated and take charge!
I’ve always wanted to live in New York. I know it’s not as exotic as, say, Istanbul, which was on my list as well, but New York City is such a special place. The art, the museums, the food! Yeah, I would relocate there in a heartbeat.
I’m always grateful for my community, both my chosen and biological family. I just feel really lucky to be part of my insular group of queer folks, BIPOC folks, etc. But I’m also just grateful to be in a community at Harper that is really committed to making everyone feel like they belong.
First and foremost, its commitment to the students. My team in the Office of DEI talks about this a lot; how our mission and charge is to support and care for our students. And whether that’s in our office, in the classroom or out of the classroom, Harper has shown in their actions just how committed they are to creating a great experience for their students.