Proudly sharing his true colours, Lakeland College student William Yap is an exceptional example of resiliency in the face of adversity.

Yap, a third-year business degree student, preaches to embrace diversity in sexual orientation, gender and ethnicity. He wants everyone to be accepted at Lakeland and beyond. His mission is to create an atmosphere that promotes inclusion.

“In the fall of 2017 I hit the ground running because there was no LGBTQ+ representation at Lakeland - there was no spectacle. I realized, ‘You've got to work with what you got.' I became the spectacle. I dressed more androgynous and wore fake lashes,” says Yap, who immigrated to Canada from the Philippines with his family.

Yap supports other Lakeland students as a peer tutor

Yap's influence began as a peer tutor in The Commons and a member of the LGBTQ+ Society of Lloydminster. His association got him noticed by Lakeland's wellness advisor, who encouraged him to have a booth at the college's 2017-18 Wellness Fair. From there, his involvement in LGBTQ+ awareness activities at Lakeland skyrocketed.

His first order of business was to develop Lakeland's first Pride Awareness Week, which featured a free barbecue lunch, a Coming Out Stories evening and more. More than 200 students attended - a fact Yap says he'll never forget.

“I toasted the entire Lakeland student body for being so welcoming and open-minded. From all walks of life, we connected on a level that I never thought possible.”

Since then, he:

  • founded the Lakeland College LGBTQ+ Support Group that has almost 20 members
  • planned and hosted Coming Out Stories at the Vermilion campus in 2018
  • implemented Safe Space signage and training throughout Lakeland
  • shared closing remarks at the first Lloydminster Transgender Day of Remembrance in 2018 at Lakeland
  • planned the 2019 Pride Awareness Week at both campuses
  • created the first LGBTQ+ Inclusive Prom in February
  • hosted monthly movie nights featuring films on gender diversity.

Yap was a member 3rd place business case team at the 13th annual Alberta Deans of Business Case CompetitionThe 26-year-old is driven to create a more inclusive environment. Yap:

  • spearheaded the creation of #Let'sEatTogether, a Thanksgiving dinner for students who were unable to go home for the holiday
  • is the student representative on the Lakeland College Board of Governors
  • is a member of the Lakeland College Student Executive Council
  • is a member of the Lakeland College Lloydminster Regional Mental Health Committee
  • was a member of Lakeland's business case team that placed third at the Alberta Deans of Business Case Competition in 2018.

Yap's capacity to develop connections with students and members of the community has helped him excel. However, Yap says he wasn't always inspired to be a part of society and struggled academically. “I wanted to hide away from the world,” he says.

Following two stints as a University Alberta (U of A) student and one as a Lakeland student, Yap returned to Lloydminster in 2016 and enrolled in Lakeland's business administration diploma program. Prior to returning, Yap was “inadvertently outed” by a peer while at the U of A. “What made it a pleasant experience was almost everyone supported and accepted me. I wasn't ostracized, and no one was looking at me weird. Simply put, it was beautiful.”

Back at Lakeland, Yap kept busy with his business studies and tutored, but he also saw a need for LGBTQ+ resources on campus. “The rest is history,” he says.

Yap graduated in 2018 from the business administration program. His academic accomplishments at Lakeland include making the Dean's List and receiving a number of awards, such as the Centennial Business Administration Achievement Award, Service to Learning Award and the Students' Association Leadership Recognition Award. Yap is continuing his education at Lakeland in Athabasca University's bachelor of management program, majoring in human resources, as well as his work to promote inclusivity and LGBTQ+ resources at Lakeland.

Yap receives the Students' Association Leadership Recognition Award during the college’s 2019 Donor Celebration at the Lloydminster campus

Happy to share his story to anyone with a listening ear, Yap spoke to youth at Eagleview Comprehensive High School at Onion Lake Cree Nation during National Aboriginal Addictions Awareness Week; he helped the Lloydminster LGBTQ+ Society host Pride in the Park activities at Weaver Park in 2018; and local media seek him for comments on LGBTQ+ topics.

 “I want to be the person I needed through my dark years, and if I can do that, then the world is a much better place.” 

While Yap is quick to point out the many other students and employees involved in these initiatives, there's no question that his leadership has changed the culture at Lakeland and the community for the better.

Photos: Top down - 1. Yap supports other Lakeland students as a peer tutor.  2. Yap was a member 3rd place business case team at the 13th annual Alberta Deans of Business Case Competition 3. Yap receives the Students' Association Leadership Recognition Award during the college's 2019 Donor Celebration at the Lloydminster campus. Below left to right - Yap at an awareness booth in Vermilion, Pride Week event in Lloydminster and helping to serve popcorn at a students' association event.

Yap at a a LCBTQ booth. Yap during Pride Week at Lloydminster campus  Yap helping to serve popcorn at the students' association pride event