For Judah Ebanks, Williston serves as much more than just a school. It’s the first time he’s felt truly accepted.

“Growing up in the Caribbean was a really homophobic community I didn’t know it was okay to be proud of yourself and it was okay to be yourself,” Judah, 17, said. “I didn’t know it was okay to be gay until I came here.”

Growing up on Grand Cayman Island, Judah often felt like an outcast because of his sexuality. It took until he came here to realize being gay isn’t something to be ashamed of.

“I’ve never ever experienced this much love and kindness because of my sexuality,” he said. “I’ve always received so much negativity because of it.”

He assumes some people on campus know him only as “that gay guy,” Judah said, but “now that I’m here I actually feel like I’m accepted and actually feel like these are people that care about me.”

Judah feels comfortable being his outgoing self and make as many friends around campus as possible.

“That’s my favorite thing to do, is meeting people,” he stated. “I love getting to know people and the start of the year is my favorite time because that’s when we get new students and I get to make new friends.”

In addition to all the incredible relationships he has made in his time at Williston, Judah said one of his best relationship he has made here has been with his roommate.

“My roommate Thomas [Thibault ‘19] is one of my favorite people ever,” Judah said. “He has become my older brother, and for him to be so accepting of me, the stereotype of him being a jock, a football player, and me, the gay guy, those stereotypes butt heads, but we literally became like brothers.”

On campus, Judah is one of the heads of the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA), as well as a member of the Multicultural Student Union (MSU), and the Wildest Cats.

Judah’s goal this year is “getting accepted into my dream college, or getting accepted to college in general.” Judah said it would “make his year” to be accepted into New York University.

Judah’s love for social interaction finds a way to shine in other aspects of his life, not just in his free time.

“I may not be the brightest, I may not be the top of the class all the time, but I do put in the effort, and where I don’t shine in academics, I shine in the social environment. I’ve been told my presence can be seen around campus.  People may not know my name, but they know of me.”