Austin Hayes
About Austin:
My pronouns are he/him, and I've been described as analytical, altruistic, and atypical. I've been with CEAT Student Services since May 2022. As a queer person from the south, I know what it's like to crave community; as such, I love meeting others in the LGBTQIA2S+ community and supporting their ambitions. My higher education experience focused on global issues, and I am passionate about human rights, particularly LGBTQIA2S+ issues and issues affecting all minority groups. My research interests include human rights, global media, geopolitics of new media, cross-cultural and nonverbal communication, transformative justice, and anti-capitalist movements.
Hometown: Bald Knob, Arkansas
High School: Bald Knob High School
College: Master of Science in Global Studies at Oklahoma State University
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and French at Harding University
Hobbies: Reading, cooking, baking, watching RuPaul’s Drag Race (including international series), playing video games (Dead by Daylight, Don’t Starve Together, Warhammer Vermintide 2, Fallout), plant care, painting my nails, walking, listening to podcasts (My Favorite Murder, Wine and Crime, Pod Save America).
Favorite Music: Indie pop, hyperpop, bubblegum pop, an eclectic mix from all eras
Favorite Movie: I don’t really like movies; they feel like a huge commitment. Yet I love all Studio Ghibli films, my favorite being Spirited Away. I much prefer tv series, like RuPaul’s Drag Race, Dragula, The Walking Dead, Pen15, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, etc.
Favorite Book: I have too many to list! I read fiction from all genres as well as nonfiction. I love dystopian and disaster fiction, so the Hunger Games series, the Life As We Knew It series, Ashfall series, the Ashes series, etc.
Something not everyone knows about you: I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 18.
Favorite Quote: “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anaïs Nin
Best Advice for College Students: Be 100% authentically yourself, and never let anyone tell you who you are. It is so hard to do that in the face of familial, societal, and peer pressures. As a queer person, I know firsthand what that is like. We are all in the process of becoming human, and we all owe it to ourselves to let that process unfold purely and without delay. Disappoint everyone in the world before you disappoint yourself.
Favorite Web Site: I watch gameplay videos, tv show commentary, and informative segments on YouTube.