Spotlight: Alan Polyak class of 2020 Sydnie Beausoleil swering machine when a message malizing the celebration of success from Alan’s counselor played. “We’re and hardships, 2020 Cornell graduworried about your son, Alan. We ateAlan Polyakasks, “Why do we sel- hear that he’s writing suicidal notes dom share our bad news?” When we on social media... And we think that talk about our lives, it’s uncommon it may be regarding the Orlando atthat we give credit to our struggles. tacks, because your son is gay”, she In Polyak’s post, they share their said. This was mortifying for Polyak, very real struggle with mental health who was not planning on coming out and eating disorders during their any time soon. However, when their time at Cornell and the difficulty mother asked for clarification, they they had finding a job. Now, Polyak saw it as an opportunity to open up is working full-time and continuing and responded “Yeah, I’m gay.” For on their mental health journey with a moment Polyak thought their paroptimism. In the spirit of sharing our ents might understand. They were struggles in light of our successes, quickly proven wrong when their Polyak opened up to us about their mother began to have chest pains. coming-out experience and how the The pain and shock was so overtrauma they faced functioned as a whelming that she had to be taken to struggle that led to personal growth the hospital. Although their mother and a realization of self. was discharged the same night, in Polyak was born and raised in perfect health, the damage done to Brooklyn, New York to lower-class Polyak’s family situation was irrevoconservative Jewish refugees from cable. the U.S.S.R. who were not thrilled to After returning home from the find out their child was gay. Polyak hospital, Polyak was immediately was in middle school when they kicked out of the house and left to were outed to their parents by their sleep on a park bench for a week. ex-boyfriend, after they posted a sad Luckily, a gay man from the local pizpost-break-up status on instagram. zeria fed Polyak until they were able Worried for Polyak’s safety, the to convince their parents to let them ex-boyfriend alerted Polyak’s school return home on one condition: in orguidance counselor that Alan may der to stay home, they had to repress be suicidal. Upon arriving home, the their sexuality. Polyaks went to listen to the an While this agreement had
sydnie In a LinkedIn post about nor-
