Although a growing body of scholarship describes the development of LGBT identity in college students and abundant literature provides evidence of the developmental impact of campus involvement, little has been known about the experiences of LGBT student leaders. We interviewed 15 students from three Midwestern institutions and analyzed data using an emerging model of Leadership Identity Development (Komives et al., 2003, 2004) to identify experiences that supported participants growth as student leaders. Students experienced challenges specific to leading in the LGBT context (e.g., having to come out as a spokesperson), as well as supports that were context specific (e.g., entering an LGBT community through involvement in campus activities). We discuss implications for the practice of leadership education and student group advising, as well as for future research.
The influence of engineering competition team participation on students' leadership identity development
