William “Will” Cribby, EdD Candidate: From Personal Truth to Institutional Transformation
Pride Month shines a spotlight on visibility and belonging, but for Will Cribby, it’s more than a moment. It’s the throughline of his personal journey, professional mission, and current doctoral research.
A Dorchester resident and EdD candidate at Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies, Cribby is also assistant dean of students at Bunker Hill Community College. He expects to complete his dissertation “LGBTQIA2S+ Sense of Belonging in Higher Education in the Community College Setting” by the end of the summer.
His academic work builds on 25 years in student affairs, advocating for student belonging, dignity, and equity. But his deepest motivation is personal.
“Son, I love you no matter what.”
Cribby grew up in a large, tight-knit Catholic family in South Portland, Maine; one of nine siblings in a working-class home. While attending the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in the early ’90s, he discovered a small, understated men’s coming-out group. “It was like a secret society of sorts,” he recalls. “It was the first time I felt like I wasn’t the only one.”
Eventually, he came out to his family during a Thanksgiving visit to his dorm room. “My mom became super quiet, my little sister was crying…my brother said, ‘If anyone mistreats you, call me first thing; I am here for you no matter what.’”
At first, his mother struggled. She turned to religious counsel that only made it harder. “The priest told her, ‘It’s okay that he’s gay as long as he doesn’t act on it.’” She also believed that by being gay was like a death sentence to die young, either to AIDS or being killed as part of a hate crime. Later, Cribby remembers, his dad took the phone and said something that changed everything: “Son, I love you no matter what.” Cribby still gets emotional recalling that moment. “That meant a lot to me,” he says. “I had permission to be myself.”
Coming out also meant changing his name from “Bill” to “Will.” It was part of claiming his identity. “Becoming ‘Will’ was about becoming whole,” he says. “It felt authentic.”
The Only Out RA – and a Voice for Others
At UNH, Cribby became the only out gay male Resident Assistant on a staff of 125 during one year that he served. He used that platform to build inclusive community. “I used to start my first-floor meetings with: ‘I’m a gay man. You may not agree with it, but we can still create a safe space together.’”
His advocacy work grew from there. He earned his master’s in student affairs counseling from Bridgewater State University while working full-time to pay for school. Over the years, he’s held leadership roles at Castleton State College, Emerson College, MCPHS University, Mount Ida College, and eventually Bunker Hill Community College, where he now oversees Basic Needs Support offices, Student Government Association, CARE, and LGBTQIA2S+ student support.
“I used to start my first-floor meetings with: ‘I’m a gay man. You may not agree with it, but we can still create a safe space together.’”
Bringing LGBTQIA2S+ Advocacy to Community Colleges
Cribby noticed early in his career that institutional equity efforts often left out LGBTQIA+ students, or treated their identities as one-dimensional. His dissertation work and campus initiatives are about changing that.
In 2022, he helped launch Bunker Hill’s first Safe Zone program and the college’s virtual LGBTQIA+ Center, which provides support and resources for students often navigating exclusion or invisibility. “I saw students being stopped for using the ‘wrong’ bathroom. That’s unacceptable,” he says.
He conducted a comprehensive audit of Bunker Hill’s student experience, from facilities to language in syllabi, and made concrete changes: adding gender-inclusive restrooms, launching visibility campaigns, updating policies, and weaving LGBTQIA2S+ belonging into the fabric of student life. “Students thrive when they see themselves on a college campus,” Cribby says. “It’s not just about celebration; it’s about safety, identity, and care.”
What “2S” Means, and Why It Matters
For Cribby, using the full LGBTQIA2S+ acronym is not just about inclusivity; it’s about recognition and reclamation. The “2S” stands for Two-Spirit, a term used within some Indigenous communities to describe a person who embodies both masculine and feminine spirits. It’s a culturally specific identity that predates colonization and speaks to traditional roles and spiritual understandings of gender and sexuality.
“Two-Spirit people were historically revered in many Native cultures,” Cribby says. “They were often seen as healers, mediators, people of vision. Colonization erased that.”
His commitment to including “2S” in academic, policy, and campus conversations is also rooted in personal truth. “There’s Indigenous ancestry on my father’s side, but like many families, we weren’t taught to explore or claim that part of ourselves,” he explains. “Learning about Two-Spirit identities felt like reconnecting with something I didn’t know I was missing.”
Cribby credits Northeastern faculty, particularly Dr. Wendy Crocker, with challenging him to fully engage with this aspect of his research. “She asked me, ‘Who’s missing in your work?’ That question really made me think about that.”
By including “2S” and Indigenous perspectives in his dissertation and advocacy, Cribby hopes to resist the erasure that still permeates much of higher education. “Language matters. Visibility matters,” he says. “When we honor Two-Spirit students and histories, we’re honoring the full spectrum of human identity.”
A Life Grounded in Connection
Cribby’s path has always been marked by strong relationships. His family’s eventual support, a long-standing academic friendship with dissertation third chair Matthew Robison, and mentorship from CPS professors Dr. Joan Giblin and Dr. Joe McNabb, have all sustained him.
Dr. McNabb, Professor in the Ed.D. program, said, “As a student in my class, Will seamlessly integrates scholarship and practice. His work in the Legal Environment of Higher Education course stands as a great example of how scholarship can support and drive meaningful change. The project in that course the Cribby worked on not only offered a rigorous legal analysis but also demonstrated how research can positively impact the lives of LGBTQ+ students and staff facing discrimination. His ongoing contributions in both his profession and academics are helping to shape a more supportive and secure campus culture.”
And then there’s his partner of almost 20 years, whom he met indirectly through a Boston LGBTQ+ softball league and Club Cafe in Boston’s Back Bay. “He thought I was cute and asked my friend to introduce us,” Cribby laughs. “We ended up at dinner, a little walk through Boston Commons. While walking he said to me, ‘I’m not looking for anything serious’ and that was almost 20 years ago, haha.” They share a life in Dorchester with their golden retrievers and a getaway in Point Sebago, Maine.
The Work Ahead
Cribby aims to finish his dissertation by Labor Day and bring his findings back to the students and institutions that shaped his journey. “I want to make this research accessible, to use it to change policies, programs, and mindsets in community colleges across the country.”
His story shows how transformation begins with authenticity, something his father’s words unlocked decades ago.
“When I came out…my dad said, ‘I love you no matter what.’ That acceptance didn’t just shape me; it became a model for the kind of campus I want to build: one where everyone can be their authentic selves.”
