02/07/2026
๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ, ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ ๐
๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐
๐ซ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐
In the midst of the noise, pressure, and fast-paced rhythm of university life, we often look for stories that can anchor and inspire us. This Pride Month, a face of resilience, empathy, and authentic identity stands out in the person of ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐๐. She is not just your ordinary student; she is a student leader, a student-athlete, a working student, and above all, a proud, โoutโ leader of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Her journey did not begin on a glamorous stage, but along a colorful yet challenging path that forged her unbreakable resolve.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ซ ๐
๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐, ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐๐ซ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ
Long before she became the voice and representative of her department, Luisa was already exposed to the raw realities of life. Since Junior High School, she embraced the grind of being a working student to support her family and fund her education. Alongside this, she showcased her grit on the court as a dedicated student-athlete.
โSports and being a working student threw me into the real world early on, and thatโs where my identity was shaped,โ Luisa shares. โThese experiences taught me the value of perseverance and responsibility at a very young age.โ
For Luisa, sports was never just a game, it was her shield to strengthen her physical, emotional, and social well-being, giving her a balanced perspective amidst academic pressures. These early trials stripped away her fear, empowering her to face the world fully, authentically, and with absolutely nothing to hide.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ซ: ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ญ
Balancing time is an art form. Between endless assignments, grueling sports training, and work shifts, Luisa learned that the true keys to success are discipline, patience, and mental toughness. But the most beautiful harvest of her sacrifices was her deep capacity to understand where others are coming from.
When she first took the helm of her organization, she noticed a glaring gap between the student leaders and the student body. Communication was limited, and an invisible wall seemed to separate them. Instead of staying distant, Luisa chose to tear that wall down. Her proudest achievement as a leader is โ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐งโ by building genuine, human connections.
She aspired to be a leader who is ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐, the kind of leader who, no matter how busy, is always ready to listen, understand, and carve out time for others. Because she knows exactly what it feels like to be exhausted and overwhelmed, she leads without judgment.
๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Luisa intimately understands the weight of carrying a hidden identity and the absolute necessity of a safe space. In her leadership, she makes it a personal habit to actively reach out, invite, and check on q***r students to let them know they have a steadfast ally in her.
โ๐๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค.โ
Luisa candidly admits that she once hesitated and feared that her gender identity might hinder her leadership aspirations. However, through the unconditional support of true friends and mentors, she overcame those doubts. A powerful piece of advice from a friend stayed with her forever: ๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐งโ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐งโ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ, ๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ.
Her decision to live and lead openly serves as a lighthouse of hope for other q***r students. She stands as living proof that being true to yourself is never a mistake or a failure, but a massive victory that brings immense relief and vibrant color to oneโs life.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ฐโ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ: ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
While Luisa acknowledges that her university is progressive and inclusive on paper, she believes that true change must felt beyond policies. She advocates for intensified, continuous education on the ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ spectrum to completely eradicate the culture of discrimination, bullying, and judgment in everyday interactions.
For students who are still terrified to step out of their comfort zones or are second-guessing whether they should lead because of who they are, Luisa leaves this empowering challenge: โ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ญ. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง.โ
This Pride Month, Luisa Abadโs story reminds us that the greatest gift we can give to ourselves and to the world is ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐, ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. Because at the end of the day, a thriving student and an effective leader can only grow from a safe, open, and fearless community, a campus that feels like a true home for everyone, no matter what color of the rainbow you wear.
via Christian Jade Moreno
layout by Mikhaela Mae Araรฑas
