University Paper Features Story of Transgender Student's Success

James Vincent Huff walked the halls of his high school just like so many other students, hoping that after graduation things would be different.

A little more than two years later, James says finally feels like he fits in.

James, 20, is a typical college sophomore: he makes good grades, hangs out with his friends and spends time with his girlfriend.

Each day he makes the commute from Nashville to Murfreesboro for work, because he says that MTSU makes him feel like he belongs.

James is transgender, a term describing an individual who feels that the gender assigned to them at birth is not correct or a complete description of what gender they truly are.

He says while times are still hard, MTSU is one of the first places he’s ever been fully comfortable to not only be different but free to be his self.

James explains that he has felt different all his life, but a couple of years ago he came to the realization that he was transgender. After that realization, it was then that his life began to change.

“I got more information on what transgender was and I felt that I fit into that box,” James says. “Then I started making the effort to change some things; I changed my name and started making people call me ‘he’ and ‘sir’ and I also changed the way I dressed.”

James says while the transition was hard, the real test of strength was not in his ability to change himself but in his ability to realize he can’t change the world.

“Every day is difficult,” James explains with a wounded look on his face. “I get misgendered a lot of the time and I have a lot of things against me. I’m 5’2 and my voice is high and it is really hard because in my head I am who I am. When people don’t see you as you see yourself it is hard to deal with.”

James says that confusion remains the main source the general population’s inability to communicate and sometimes function around him when it comes to his gender.

“People like to classify other people and it doesn’t matter who you are, you are going to do it no matter what,” James says. “No matter if you’re unbiased, it just happens because people see in black and white or male and female.” [READ MORE]