Drag Show 2023 & 2024

When I was a junior at Fordham, I decided to bring back the school’s Annual Drag Show, which hadn’t happened since 2019 because of COVID. I was president of the Fashion for Philanthropy club, which used to host the show with student performers, but I wanted to come back with a bang. So, I reached out to professional NYC-based queens to headline, with students as openers. We got Freddie Benddder as our student performer, and Twinkle Toes, Dev Doee, and Janelle No. 5 for the 2023 show. So sick.

I used my connections to secure the biggest, most regal venue on campus and led my e-board in reaching out to local NYC businesses for raffle donations. We made tickets free—because events like this should be free—and charged for raffle tickets to raise money for New Alternatives, a nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness. On 2023’s Trans Day of Visibility, we raised over $650 (more than the event ever had before) and broke a school record for most attended student-led event.

In 2024, we did it all over again. This time, we got Trey Jolly, M’oriah, PleaseRy, and Lana Ja’rae (who later went on to compete on Rupaul’s Drag Race, season 17). That year, it was about giving back to NYC. I was graduating, feeling nostalgic, and wanted to give back to the city that had given me so much the last four years. Just like the year before, we raised over $650 for New Alternatives and packed the venue. It was the perfect sendoff.