PENELOPE GONG
Grand Writer
Penelope joined CMAA in 2023 as a Grant Writer. As a Grant Writer, she is responsible for growing the capacity of programs and services CMAA offers by communicating with funders and stakeholders about the vital community work done at CMAA. She is of white and Chinese-American descent.
Before her time at CMAA, Penelope worked in Iowa supporting queer and transgender youth. Her work focused on increasing educational attainment, fostering leadership and advocacy skills, and supporting the general well-being of participating college students. In her role, Penelope used her love of storytelling to collect stories and develop an oral history archive of elder transgender adults. This initiative aimed to foster intergenerational knowledge and preserve the experiences and histories of transgender individuals for future generations of the LGBTQ+ community. Penelope has a background in mental health advocacy and seeks to integrate transformative justice practices in all of her work and personal life. Penelope is a graduate of Grinnell College, receiving her B.A. in Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies.
FUN FACT | Penelope founded a lion dance troupe in middle school that continued to perform until the end of high school. She continues to hold a deep love for lion dance.