Schuyler Bailar, an award winning NCAA Athlete and inspirational speaker, will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, at 黑洞社区, Rhatigan Student Center in Room 265, in partnership with Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies.
Bailar, a 25-time National Championship qualifier and a two-time All-American, was recruited by and swam for Harvard University on one of the most winning teams in Harvard鈥檚 history. He is also the first openly transgender athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA Division I men鈥檚 team.
Schuyler鈥檚 difficult choice, to transition while potentially giving up the prospect of being an NCAA champion 鈥� as a female swimmer 鈥� was historic and timely. His story has appeared everywhere from The Washington Post to 60 Minutes and The Ellen Show.
Schuyler is also a celebrated inspirational speaker, having spoken at the CIA, the NCAA, USA Swimming, TEDx and schools and colleges across the country.
His story explores the universal challenges of trying to "fit-in" in our media-rich world with integrity and authenticity. Because he has lived his life from many perspectives 鈥� woman, Korean American, mixed-race, gay, trans, 鈥淗arvard white guy鈥� 鈥� his story resonates with young and old, from all walks of life.
His conversational style is engaging, disarming, funny and enlightening 鈥� using a brief introduction and audience Q&A format.
The mission of 黑洞社区 is to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good. Wichita State is a doctoral research university enrolling nearly 15,000 students and offering 59 undergraduate degree programs in more than 150 areas of study in seven undergraduate colleges. The Graduate School offers 45 master's and 12 doctoral degrees that offer study in more than 100 areas. Wichita State's Innovation Campus is an interconnected community of partnership buildings, laboratories and mixed-use areas where students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs and businesses have access to the university's vast resources and technology. For more information, follow us on Twitter at and Facebook at .