Hender is from the Phillippines. She is studying at CEU thanks to the Alumni Scholarship, next|generation.
In her own words:
Before coming to CEU I earned an M.Phil in LGBT issues and, before that, a BA in European Languages from the University of the Philippines, where I was also a research associate. My research interests include transgender, queer and feminist theory and their interactions with language, culture and philosophy.
Since my teens I have advocated for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights in the Philippines; in my teens I became president of UP Babaylan, the country’s first and largest LGBT student organization. Through the years I honed my skills and conducting discussions on a number of LGBT-related themes, and how to present the country’s LGBT situation to students, organizations, the media, government and others.
After CEU, I will continue working to eradicate homophobia and transphobia in my country via education and research. I hope to pursue a doctorate in an interdisciplinary gender studies program, to author books on Philippine gender studies and to advise other researchers on the topic.
I sincerely thank the alumni donors for the opportunity to study at CEU.