Congratulations to our 2017 Graduates!
We’re taking a moment to acknowledge our graduating members from across the country! We can’t wait to see where the end up next, and how reproductive justice will play a role in their lives. Read on to see what some of graduates will be up to.
Name Gabrielle Winger
School Bowling Green State University
What did you study in college? Apparel Merchandising
How did being a student activist with URGE impact your experience in college? Being a student activist with URGE, starting with my involvement with the feminist organization on campus that lead into my involvement with URGE, played a huge role in shaping both my politics and activism during my college career. I can’t imagine navigating my undergraduate career without being introduced to URGE. This year, my senior year, I was able to take on a canvassing position and later a canvassing manager position which really got me involved in local government.
Where are you heading next? George Washington University to study WGSS with a Public Policy concentration!
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Pace yourself and base your activism in love! Don’t forget about self care!
Name Taylor Crumpton
School Abilene Christian University
What did you study in college? Social Work
How did being a student activist with URGE impact your experience in college? Being an student activist with URGE assisted me in acquiring the knowledge necessary to hold and engage in conversations with leadership on campus about creating a safe campus climate for sexually active students at my conservative Christian university. As a Student Journalist, I was able to amplify and elevate reproductive issues affecting populations in my states as well as discuss the transitional period of being an activist leaving their home community.
Where are you heading next? I’ll be pursuing my Master’s of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? You cannot do this work alone so reach out to people who will support you and help you grow in this work; that is personal and political.
Name Kristina Adetoyin Agbebiyi
School Kennesaw State University
What did you study in college? Human Services with an Emphasis in Nonprofit Administration
How did being a student activist with URGE impact your experience in college? Before my involvement with URGE, I had been pro-choice, but not as involved with the reproductive justice movement. URGE gave me the chance to form a network with people within the movement, and combine previous experiences with racial justice and LGBTQ organizing.
Where are you heading next? I am attending The University of Michigan in the Fall to earn my Masters in Social Work. I hope to become a Licensed Macro Social Worker and I am concentrating on Social Policy and Evaluation in Community Systems.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Always be true to yourself, your morals, and your politics. Never sacrifice them, even if it’s tough!
Name Lain Littlejohn
School Kansas State University
What did you study in college? Animal Science & German
How did being a student activist with URGE impact your experience in college? I developed better communication and coalition building skills. My understanding of reproductive justice has greatly expanded, which has opened up new opportunities to empower and center various marginalized communities.
Where are you heading next? Staying in Manhattan, as the URGE Kansas State Organizer!
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Don’t worry if you are shy, your voice matters and should be heard. Not everyone is made to be a visionary leader, find the skills you are best at and utilize those to make change! No one else is like you.
Name Joanna Urli
School University of Alabama
What did you study in college? Biology
How did being a student activist with URGE impact your experience in college? It greatly helped me be active at my university and beyond!
Where are you heading next? Boston University for MS in Genetic Counseling
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Pick your battles wisely!
Name Kristen Harter
School University of Toledo
What did you study in college? Women’s and Gender Studies
How did being a student activist with URGE impact your experience in college? It inspired me to be passionate about RJ. URGE has given me leadership skills and organizing tools I will always have with me.
Where are you heading next? Who knows really.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Sometimes saving the world involves taking care of yourself ❤️
Name Tarria Stanley
School University of Toledo
What did you study in college? Political science women and gender studies
How did being a student activist with URGE impact your experience in college? It allowed me to actually get involved in politics while incorporating my passion for women’s rights hence why I also studied women and gender studies.
Where are you heading next? Law school and continuing to fight for women’s right more specifically sexual/domestic abuse as well as human trafficking.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Fight for it because you believe in it. Only get involved if this is where your passions lay. Also, really go out your way to try to make a difference because it may seem small to some, but anything helps the cause.
Name Emma Wakeman
School University of Georgia
What did you study in college? Women’s Studies
How did being a student activist with URGE impact your experience in college? It gave me a taste of what the life of an organizer is like and allowed me to be part of a community outside of just my university.
Where are you heading next? This summer I will be working for Camp Ayandeh, a leadership camp for Iranian-American teens, with IAAB, an Iranian-American non profit. After that, I’m taking a year off to apply to graduate school and then hopefully I will be getting a PhD in Gender Studies and become a Women’s Studies professor. I hope to be a lifelong organizer and advocate for Reproductive Justice.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Stay organized and delegate. School is really stressful and it can be overwhelming to also be an organizer, the more people you can rely on for help the better. Try your best to create a strong core group that you can do the work with so it gets done and none of you get too overwhelmed.
Name Alysia Gustavsen
School Georgia Southern University
What did you study in college? BS in Sociology and minor in women and gender studies
How did being a student activist with URGE impact your experience in college? I didn’t expect to be lobbying politicians and encouraging students to become active in politics. However, I learned I love to do it, so I dedicated much of my college experience to it.
Where are you heading next? Taking a year off before I go to school for my Master’s in Social Work.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Do no harm and respect the right to self-determination.
Name Brittany Bodenheimer
School University of Kansas
What did you study in college? Political Science; Communication Studies; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
How did being a student activist with URGE impact your experience in college? With URGE, I found a community unlike any other on campus. The levels of love, support, and solidarity I experienced during my time with URGE were unparalleled, and I am so excited to continue my work beyond college in the reproductive justice fight.
Where are you heading next? D.C.!
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Take the risk you’re afraid to take – there will always be folks who have your back, and it’s the best way to grow.
Name Haley Kottler
School Kansas State University
What did you study in college? Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies; Family Studies & Human Services
How did being a student activist with URGE impact your experience in college? URGE allowed me to learn the fundamentals of grassroots organizing by being a leader in my school and community. I will always remember my first canvassing experience–I was terrified! URGE also showed me the importance of being abortion positive, and an unwavering proponent of reproductive justice in red states like Kansas.
Where are you heading next? I just accepted a position with Trust Women as their Kansas Canvass Manager. Trust Women is an organization that opens clinics that provide abortion care in under-served communities so that all women can make their own decisions about their health care. I am immensely grateful to continue doing reproductive justice work, and ready to dive in!
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? My words often fail me, so I would like to share an Audre Lorde quote. “The speaking will get easier and easier. And you will find you have fallen in love with your own vision, which you may never have realized you had. And you will lose some friends and lovers, and realize you don’t miss them. And new ones will find you and cherish you. And at last you’ll know with surpassing certainty that only one thing is more frightening than speaking your truth. And that is not speaking.”
Name Abigail Agnew
School Kansas State University
What did you study in college? Marketing
How did being a student activist with URGE impact your experience in college? It helped me find myself.
Where are you heading next? Wichita
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Megaphones do a lot for your self confidence.
