Attend Capitol event to shape future, apply college learning

My time at CSB/SJU was the most formative years of my life. As a student, I worked tirelessly to push myself, often challenging my own beliefs, trying my hardest to encompass the values of my peers while also trying to navigate my own.

Words cannot describe the amount of growth I experienced throughout this time, and I am grateful for all of those who continued to push and inspire me every step of the way.

For most who know me, I was very active on campus during my time at CSB/SJU. I was involved in various clubs and organizations, slowly taking on more and more leadership roles throughout my tenure. I found these experiences essential in my own personal growth, allowing me to become more confident in myself and my values. I grew more and more unapologetic about race and equity issues on campus and became a strong advocate for our campuses to step up and do more in regard to state-wide issues, especially in regard to policing and public safety after the killings of George Floyd and Daunte Wright.

It is my advocacy once again that brings me to The Record. As a student I oftentimes felt like I could be doing more on a broader level but struggled to find ways to act on the CSB/SJU campuses. Don’t get me wrong, work was being done all around campus and I was incredibly proud of the work we had accomplished, but I always felt deep down that we were falling short, and more could have been done to address our community outside of CSB/SJU.

That feeling never left me post-graduation, and through my current position working alongside college students I realized this is not an uncommon feeling for many young people. Many of us understand the importance of the moment but lack the resources and tools to advocate for the things they want to see. As young people, we are often told that we are inexperienced, have less at stake or that politics shouldn’t concern us at the moment. If we aren’t allowed to care now, when will we ever be able to care? We are the future. As young people, we must remind ourselves that we have pushed the needle in so many directions throughout the last two decades. We organized the Climate Strike, Black Lives Matter, and #MeToo Movement. We took the mantle from our elders and forced the national media to talk about issues that mattered to us. We should no longer be content with the status quo; young people are the future and deserve to be treated with the same respect and dignity that the generations before us had.

As an organizer with the Young Adult Coalition of ISAIAH, I have had the opportunity to build power with numerous young people. Our goal is to shape the conversation at the Minn. State Capitol and win a down payment on our future. Through a collective effort from young people, we plan on organizing a Young Adult summit on climate action and funding the down payment on our future at the State Capitol on April 5. There is a $9 billion surplus in Minn. and this surplus is exactly what we need to put a down payment on our future. A future where we address the climate crisis, invest in paid family leave and provide the education we deserve. A future where young people recognize the power we have and advocate for the things we care about.

I challenge each and every one of you to join us in this fight: be the change you want to see! We are still working to finalize transportation for students on the CSB/SJU campuses to the summit, but keep a look out for more information about that in the coming weeks. Until then, I hope to see you all at the Capitol.