Introducing myself and my journal

About Me:
As I sit here, ready to fill out the "About Me" section of my profile, I suddenly find myself struggling to come up with words to define myself... There are so many experiences that contribute to who I am, who I have become, and how I have changed and developed throughout my life. I have two nationalities: American and Italian. This is a core part of my identity in large part because I've lived in both countries for substantial amounts of time and really feel at home in both places. Currently, I am student at Reed College, in Portland, Oregon studying Sociology.

I feel very lucky because I was raised in an environment where my gender was not seen as a mark of inferiority, but rather as something to be proud of. However, as I grew up and learned more about the world, I realized that not all people are as fortunate as I was. There are so many women across the globe that face incredible challenges and are forced to live through unfair, unequal, and even sometimes horrific circumstances simply because of the fact that they are women. My mother was an active feminist in the 1960s and '70s and she has passed on her passion for gender equality to me. I want to make a difference. I want to help fight against the injustices that women face every day. I hope that someday I can look back and feel that my efforts have helped at least some women see their gender as a source of pride rather than a mark of inferiority, as a path to opportunity rather than a path to imprisonment.