Over the past two years, Zenobia Lee-Nelson has made an impact across multiple communities at JMU. The work that Zenobia has done in this short amount of time has garnered respect from her peers, JMU faculty, and the JMU community. Her presence is felt across multiple organizations including as President of Shades of Pride, an organization Zenobia founded that does tremendous work for the LGBTQIA+ community at JMU; as Vice President of the Black Student Alliance, an organization that advocates for the black voices at JMU; as founder of the Sister Circle; and she also serves on the exec board of SCAR, the Student Coalition Against Racial Injustice. Additionally, Zemobia is currently serving at high levels within the university, such as being on the advisory board for the Campus History Committee, the committee tasked with renaming some of the buildings around the campus. This semester, Zenobia was invited by the Sisters in Session faculty and staff caucus to be the only undergraduate student to speak at the Sisters in Session Conference. Zenobia’s work also includes her heavy involvement in mentoring other students socially and academically, including her role as a trained educator in the Diversity Education Empowerment Program, or D.E.E.P. Impact. Zenobia has even made her presence felt outside of JMU, as she has served as a resource person for multiple colleges in their new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. Zenobia’s important work in social justice and inclusion doesn’t stop at her organizational involvement; she has also completed two minors in African, African American, and Diaspora Studies, as well as in Women’s and Gender and Sexuality Studies. Adding to this tremendous resumé, Zenobia has also completed multiple research projects and presentations, such as a TedTalk presentation on “Harms of the Sexualizing and Degradation of Queer Women of Color” and two presentation at academic conferences titled: “Black Queer Narratives: The Lost Voices on Gay Harlem Renaissance, The Black Arts Movement, and AfroPunk”, as well as “Ain’t I a Woman Still?: Black Directed Femicide”. It is without a doubt that Zenobia has invested so much of her time and energy into highlighting the issues and importance surrounding the marginalized communities that she embodies. 

As a black queer woman who is also a first-generation college student, Zenobia has made it her passion to sharing and informing others of issues on race, sexuality, ethnicity, and gender based on the critical perspective of her own journey. She has burst through barriers and exceeded what it means to be a student leader. It is without a doubt that her presence and mission are critical at this moment in time. Injustice has been and is still occuring around the country. To make a difference and to unite us all, it takes a leader like Zenobia, who embodies the ideals of inclusion, diversity, and excellence in all facets: from her service and leadership choices to her academic work. In her short time here at James Madison University, Zenobia has invested herself in building community and in making a unique, yet lasting contribution that will be felt for years to come. There was no doubt after reading her nomination letter that Zenobia was more than deserving of the All-Together-One award. We hope this award can be a small thank you for all the meaningful work you have done for JMU, the black community, the LGBTQIA+ community, and beyond.