Thankful to be known as "the activist"

Being vocal is what got me here. I learned about Voices of Our Future and this application process through a friend who posted it in a private Facebook group I created to share interesting events with each other. She thought I would be intrigued by it, since I do a lot of writing through various mediums and am involved in political and social activism. Speaking up as often as I do, I've gained a reputation in my circle of friends as "the activist," and it has lead me here.

Although professionally I am working towards becoming a veterinarian, I will always be interested in and passionate about activism and social justice. My interest in activism was really sparked when I came to college, and is a process I am still undergoing. My Sophomore year I started becoming heavily involved in community service, volunteering at a local non-profit. This non-profit introduced me to working class issues and inner-city politics, as well as teaching me about the power of organizing. This year I am a work-study communications intern for this non-profit, and have met a variety of incredibly dedicated people working towards social and economic justice. We are currently working on a campaign to grant driver’s licenses to people regardless of immigration status using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number issued by the IRS. We are organizing immigrant communities to learn their legal and human rights and their collective power.

My life has since changed dramatically — for the better. I find myself more engaged politically and analytically with how our society is structured. I’ve become the person who will correct my friends and peers if they are saying problematic things, and the one who is always writing and thus informed about various issues like the LGBTQ movement within the U.S. and Latin America, immigrant rights, and college access for lower-income students.

I am still discovering and experimenting with all the mediums through which I can inform myself and others. I have become more cognizant of the unique challenges facing women around the world, and how complicated these challenges can be once you factor in things like socioeconomic status, race and immigration status.
My dream is a more tolerant and aware society, one populated by people that can’t ignore all the issues surrounding them because they are busy or simply not interested. I think we will achieve this by continuing to educate ourselves and share this information with everyone we can through our daily personal interactions. These interactions are the most impactful force, because it’s harder to ignore a problem when those affected by it are looking you in the eyes and directly addressing you. We have the power to reach people, be it our friends, our colleagues and co workers, or our readers, by showing them the full impact of the issues at hand.