Congratulations to All of Our Graduating Seniors
URGE is so lucky to have hundreds of students dedicated to protecting everyone’s right to their own bodies. We’re proud of everything our activists accomplished this year from nail art fundraisers in Texas to sex trivia nights in Ohio to condom valentines in Kansas. Saying goodbye to another school year and another group of graduates is never easy, but we know we haven’t seen or the heard the last of each and every activist who wrapped up their undergraduate careers this month. Congratulations seniors! We couldn’t have built the power we did in 2016 without you.
Ohio
Name: Taylor Burtch
School: University of Toledo
Major: Women’s Studies & Psychology
How did being a student activist with URGE impact you? URGE really opened my eyes to a more inclusive view of reproductive justice as I expanded my feminist consciousness. I also had an amazing opportunity when I was just getting into women’s studies to network my sophomore year and meet some incredible activists. I have made life-long memories and friends while working for and traveling with URGE.
Where are you heading next? I will be starting an MA in Women’s Studies at University of Florida this fall!
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Don’t be afraid to get involved in any kind of activism you can possibly get involved in! It’s how you learn which areas are tied closest to your heart. BUT… remember, above all, to take care of yourself. A professor once told me, “As a student activist, you are in this for the long haul— and we need you for many years to come. Never forget that this is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Name: Tiffany Runion
School: University of Toledo
Major: Women and Gender Studies
How did being a student activist with URGE impact you? Being a student activist help educate me on the issues that are facing women everyday. It also helped me to connect with other organizations in my community and network. I enjoyed lobbying and going to different conferences and will miss it greatly.
Where are you heading next? Good question! Continuing my education wherever my quest for RJ leads me.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Remember why you care in the first place.
Name: Cole Campos
School: Bowling Green State University
Major: Psychology
How did being a student activist with URGE impact you? I got more involved with my organization and being an active voice on campus.
Where are you heading next? Hopefully, San Francisco State University for their sexuality studies masters program.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Get involved! You can do so much good through URGE and your on campus organizations. It’ll make your college experience an amazing one.
Name: Leslie Potts
School: Bowling Green State University
Major: Political Science
How did being a student activist with URGE impact you? Working with URGE in terms of activism has helped me understand what youth centered professional organizing can look like in practice.
Where are you heading next? Graduate school in Seattle, Washington
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Remember that you’re labor is valuable and valued. Any space that treats your time, talent, and energy as nothing less than a reward to the function of the group is a space that you should meter your energy toward.
Kansas
Name: Paul Brink
School: Wichita State University
Major: Economics & Political Science
How did being a student activist with URGE impact you? Being part of an URGE chapter has been a very positive experience for me. URGE offers a lot of resources to develop student leaders, and connects students to an incredible community of activists.
Where are you heading next? After I graduate, I will be moving to Denver, Colorado, where I have accepted a position as a field organizer with the Colorado Democratic Party.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Work to invest your time and energy in the people, organizations, and issues you care about. It will teach you more about leadership and activism than you might think.
Name: Drew Bonnet
School: Emporia State University
Major: Organizational Communications & Public Relations
How did being a student activist with URGE impact you? URGE provided an outlet for my desire to challenge violations of student rights and to provide a group and space for those who felt their needs were neither being addressed nor respected.
Where are you heading next? I’ll be working as an event coordinator in Lenexa, KS.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Don’t allow your feelings to be minimized or negated just because they aren’t currently being addressed.
Georgia
Name: Carmen Gray
School: Georgia Southern University
Major: English, Arabic Minor
How did being a student activist with URGE impact you? Being involved with URGE taught me many lessons about organizing and HOW you do something is just as important as what you do.
Where are you heading next? This summer I am taking time to travel. I will be in Orlando, D.C., Colorado, Chicago, and New Orleans. After that, I will take a year to work before applying for grad school.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? If your heart is moved by an issue, then let your feet follow. Never be discouraged from doing work for a movement that you believe in because you feel like you are not “big” enough to make a difference. There is power in your voice and actions. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you can’t make a difference because you can. Remember to be bold, brave, and kind.
Name: Gabi Nelson
School: University of West Georgia
Major: Sociology
How did being a student activist with URGE impact you? URGE added tools to aid me in successfully organizing within movements.
Where are you heading next? I am going to graduate school in the fall. I am still deciding where I am going to attend but will keep you updated!
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Never give up, fight for what you believe in. There are always going to be people who need to be reminded that their opinions are not the only ones that matter and that they are not always right. Lend your voice to the people who need it and stand in solidarity with one another.
Alabama
Name: Sarah Banning
School: University of Alabama
Major: English
How did being a student activist with URGE impact you? Student activism made my experience in undergrad extremely rewarding and though not inherently linked to my future career goals, I feel it has prepared me and given me many skills.
Where are you heading next? Graduate school at Mount Holyoke College. I will be working on a Masters of Art in Teaching for Secondary English Education.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Get involved! You can do so much good through URGE and your on campus organizations. It’ll make your college experience an amazing one.
Texas
Name: Hannah Foster
School: Texas State University
Major: Journalism and Mass Communication
How did being a student activist with URGE impact you? My time with URGE really helped me gain a greater understanding of the world around me while in college. I learned a lot and I felt like I got to use knowledge and skills earned in school during my time as a student journalist and activist. It was really cool being able to see my education being put to use in real world scenarios.
Where are you heading next? I honestly have no idea. I’m hoping to find a job in a communications department somewhere. And I hope to eventually find my career with a non-profit that shares me values.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Your voice matters. People will always try to dismiss you because you’re young, but you’re smart and you know what you believe in, and they’re just scared of you. They recognize how powerful our generation is, and it scares them. You are the movers and the shakers of this movement. You’re participation is valuable and won’t go unnoticed.
Name: Laura Reid
School: Texas A&M University
Major: Psychology; Minors in Philosophy and Women’s & Gender Studies
How did being a student activist with URGE impact you? Being a student activist with URGE ultimately helped me become a more confident & informed college student and gave me the tools to find my niche on campus. My student group F.R.E.E. (Feminists for Reproductive Equity & Education) was able to create lasting rapport with the Texas A&M student body and broader community through skills we learned from URGE.
Where are you heading next? I will be heading to a graduate program or job focusing on Reproductive Justice in pursuit of a related career.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? Positive change on your campus shouldn’t end with (or have to start from scratch after) your graduation. Make it a point to internalize and externalize solid groundwork, consistent progress, and productive teamwork.
California
Name: Carley Towne
School: University of California, San Diego
Major: Critical Gender Studies/Political Science/History
How did being a student activist with URGE impact you? I got a chance to work with a national reproductive justice organization, which really brought home the reality and importance of all of the theories, discussions, and actions that occur on my campus. I also think working with an organization like URGE demystified the process of working with a youth-led organization.
Where are you heading next? I’m taking a year to work, apply to graduate school in the fall, and find my bearings after spending my entire life in school. In this next year, I foresee a lot of learning and a lot of crying. Mostly learning, though.
What’s one piece of advice you would leave behind for future student activists? I’m not sure I’m in a position to offer anyone advice, but I can extend the knowledge I’ve been given by people who are smarter and way cooler then me. Your actions don’t have to change the world, and probably won’t. But if you can strive to create equitable, compassionate interactions with everyone you come in contact with, you’re on your way.
