Meet Our Scholars

Mallory was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago where she grew up in a working class family where openly identifying in the queer community was not an option. She attended Catholic schools where she excelled academically and knew that education was the tool that would open a new world to her. For her undergraduate degree, Mallory attended Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, a small all women’s Catholic college where she majored in Social Work. At the time, the college was an unwelcoming environment to folx in the LGBTQ community and religion was often used as a weapon to justify marginalization on campus. As a response to the negative experiences Mallory faced there, she worked as the President of the Straight and Gay Alliance on campus to raise awareness and push for programs that would provide education and acceptance on campus. After graduating, she returned to her college to provide safe space trainings and was active in the LGBTQ alum association to support other LGBTQ+ identified students on campus, including assisting with the development of a scholarship program for students at Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College. Mallory received her Master’s degree at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration and now works as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker on the South Side of Chicago. Prior to opening her own private practice psychotherapy business, she worked as a Program Director overseeing housing programs for individuals and families impacted by HIV/AIDS and housing instability. Mallory plans to continue to provide trauma informed affirming therapy to queer communities in Chicago and also spends a great deal of time supporting various organiziations who work with young people who have experienced housing instability and complex trauma.