Donalyn White, an alum of both Political Science and English, is the 2024 recipient of the CU GOLD (Graduate of the Last Decade) Award. The award recognizes graduates of the last ten years for their accomplishments in their career, service, and/or volunteer efforts that have brought honor to individuals and CU Denver. Donalyn received a minor in Political Science in 2016 and an MA in Political Science from the New Directions in Politics and Public Policy Program in 2019. They have additional BA and MA degrees in English from CU Denver and are currently a PhD student in the Cultural Studies Department at Claremont Graduate University. Their research centers around preserving and telling the history of queer elders.