As a child, I absolutely loved hockey and was just consumed and obsessed with sports in general. I knew all the baseball standings throughout summer and the hockey standings throughout winter.

I wanted to be a college hockey player, and a professional hockey player, and I accomplished playing college hockey. I wasn't the best to come out of our town, but I really loved it, and made it to my college's Hall of Fame in Kent State University.

Now, I am the assistant athletic director of facilities at Union College, and I've been the event administrator for every hockey game in the past 19 years. I came out 3.5 years ago and I'm in my 4th year on HRT.

As an athletic administrator, it was a terrifying but amazing process to go through. I was starting to dress more differently and told a couple close friends here in our department.

I came out to our Associate Athletic Director and she was terrific – she totally understands queer culture. My direct supervisor was amazing about it too.

Then I came out to the entire department, entire campus, and entire hockey community in the area, as I coach adults and kids, and I referee. Everyone was just so affirming.

I'm on several committees now. I Co-Chair the LGBTQ+ committee on campus, I Co-Chair our athletics inclusion committee. I'm also on a couple of committees, where I really didn't have a voice before. Now I do have a voice.

I've made this statement recently where I realized that, "I feel like I have trans privilege on this campus," and trans privilege really doesn't exist.

But that's the way I feel. Maybe that's the way normal people with a voice feel.

My personality has completely changed, my confidence has changed. I love working every day. I love looking in the mirror. I love who I'm looking at. I'm just so incredibly happy. I feel like myself and feel very good about who I am.

[As told to @Ragi Gupta — continued]