Supporting others through challenging experiences requires empathy, compassion and resilience. For AK Krauss, that work is balanced by boxing, nature and the support of their chosen family.
“An advocate is one who finds the things that need doing and gets them done,” said AK Krauss, paraphrasing a local partner at Family Service of the Piedmont. “Advocacy is so individual and specific to different folks.”
Krauss serves as Elon University’s assistant director of the Gender & LGBTQIA Center for Confidential Advocacy, a role that manages cases and supports the wellbeing of Elon community members who have experienced harms, including sexual assault, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual harassment.
As an advocate, Krauss provides emotional support, connects community members to resources, helps them navigate legal processes and collaborates on safety planning.
Jayla Martin ’25, student manager for the GLC, described Krauss as the embodiment of an advocate and friend and someone who has a “strong sense of justice and a depth of empathy and compassion that has made countless lives better.”
“When I was going through my silly, twenty-something problems as a student, AK was always ready to lend an ear and listen without judgment,” Martin said. “As a staff member now, they are always able to give me a balanced, realistic perspective on a problem, and still make me laugh afterwards.”
The work, while rewarding, can be challenging and emotionally taxing. Krauss and other partners on campus offer awareness and preventative programs, trainings and events to stop sexual harm on campus. To destress away from work, Krauss takes boxing lessons, enjoys nature and enjoys connections with their chosen family.
“I bought a punching bag for my house for $40 from somebody who was moving,” Krauss said. “I thought, ‘I will absolutely invest in that!’” A few trial classes at a gym turned into a beloved hobby.
“Boxing helps me get out of my head,” Krauss said. “It helps me release the physical energy that comes with living in a high-stress world and working in a high-stress position.”
Krauss also enjoys being in nature. They have a tattoo of a sleeping fox, as well as a cluster of fairy inkcap mushrooms.
“The mushroom tattoo reminds me of the bigger connections and pictures in life: connection to community, connection to chosen family and all the different ways to build networks with each other that are maybe seen or unseen, recognized or unrecognized,” Krauss said.
Krauss said that advocacy work is innately diverse across multiple identities and experiences. Almost everyone who serves in the role of an advocate has experienced the challenge of navigating support systems after harmful experiences.
“We understand it personally,” Krauss said. “We bring that tenacity into the work and that’s the part of advocacy that I really love and vibe with and identify with.”
At work, Krauss is grateful to work in a space that feels safe, where they can focus on the work at hand.
“I love and appreciate that we have queer folks in leadership on campus who are blazing the trail so that I can just be here and do the work that I’m here to do,” they said. “I don’t need to worry about protecting myself or my identities –I can focus on being here for the students. That’s really what I want to do.”
Elon honors Pride Month stories
As part of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Elon University is sharing stories through Today at Elon that highlight students, faculty and staff who contribute to a campus environment where cultural identities and experiences are celebrated year-round. Throughout the month and year, Elon also offers resources and events to support the LGBTQ+ community.