Co-founder and Director of Club Content, Nclusion Plus and Online Program Coordinator, Columbia College
Anthony has the best of both worlds with his two professions. Nclusion Plus allows him to be creative and organized, and to always think outside the box, while Columbia College allows him to hone his educator skills. Anthony’s list of professional and personal achievements is one to be proud of — from raising money for several charities over the years to working with over 30,000 international students from 2017-2022 with Mizzou Academy.
He is not stopping there. Looking ahead to goals for 2023, he says, “I would like to do more outreach with our collegial queer communities to promote activism and LGBTQIA+ education in our town. We have many queer college students who do not know that they have a place in this community. I would love to show queer college students that Columbia is an accepting place and that they can make it their home just like I did 12 years ago.”
Friend and colleague Brandon Banks knows how deserving Anthony is of this recognition.
“This person went from knowing nothing about business to stepping up and becoming an entrepreneur that now is indispensable to the LGBTQIA+ community. He is responsible for interacting with over 150 entertainers to book them for opportunities at over 100 events per year across Missouri,” Brandon says. “Plus, he has coordinated educational panels for college campuses, serves as a board member for The Center Project, and dedicates tons of time coordinating Nclusion Plus’s fundraising events for non-profits in our area.”
Anthony knows that it takes a village and a dedicated support system to get where he is today.
“I have several teachers who made a large impact on my life but the one person who has been my rock would be my Nana,” he adds. “If I am having a bad day, if I need someone to be a sounding board, she is the one I call. She has been there for me my entire life.”
When asked about what principles guide him through life, Anthony responded, “This was the toughest question because I feel that I have so many guiding values in my life. I would say the two most important to me are continuous learning and adaptability. These are two values that have stuck with me as an educator. I am grateful that I have learned to balance the two and they live harmoniously within me as guiding values.”
Age: 30
Pet Peeve: When people post an entire concert on their Snapchat story and the clicking to get out of the video never ends.
