Louisa Spaventa (she/her) sees literature as a tool for expanding community and shaping identity. She is a Composition and Literary Studies Adjunct Professor and an Instructional Associate in the Learning Lab at Austin Community College, where she has taught for 20 years. An early adopter of the opportunity, she created themed composition courses: Exploring American Identities, Human as Spectacle, and Honors Queer Writings: Stories by and about LGBTQIA+ People. Additionally, Louisa teaches a corequisite course with Integrated Reading and Writing; she also works in the Honors and Interdisciplinary Studies Departments and serves as a Community of Practice facilitator in the Liberal Arts Gateway. Looking for best practice solutions to student retention, her online course is approved by Quality Matters. She has also been awarded two Honors DEI Fellowships and co-authored an Inclusive and Respectful Language Handout, as empathetic communication is an indespensible skill. In service of students, she sits on the Honors Scholarship Committee, has judged several poetry prizes, and assisted editors of the college literary journal. A longtime advisor for the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, she created a Safe and Social Hour pilot program. Likewise, she helps produce transgender and queer-focused events, like Drag the Ban and A Night of Queer Performance. In the greater Austin community, she became a designated Leader with Equality Texas and acts to uplift LGBTQIA+ elders.