Lee is a member of the North Carolina Youth Leadership Council.

I am Lee, someone who has been adversely affected by an epidemic of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This epidemic, which continues to grow, clearly needs attention. I honestly believe that the other members of the North Carolina Youth Leadership Council and myself can be catalysts for change in addressing an issue that has haunted our world for decades. As a college student I feel obligated to push for change as this problem becomes even more widespread. I have observed many individuals who have lost so much to the fight against AIDS, and this council could very well be the medium by which lives can be saved.

Over the course of the last four years, I have become more and more attracted to the art of activism. I am a firm believer that if one identifies a problem that needs to be addressed and fails to make any effort to bring attention to the problem, then they are a part of the problem themselves. As a result, I have decided to possibly pursue Public Health as a major at UNC-Chapel Hill so that I may effectively educate others about wellness and preventative care, especially those related to drugs, alcohol, and sex.

In Summer 2006, I attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine in Washington, DC at Georgetown University. This conference allowed me to sharpen my activism skills through a mini public health symposium that the attendees participated in. The symposium manifested so many health issues, but the one I found most interesting was the spread of HIV/AIDS and the contraction of STDs. Attending this conference was an influential factor in my decision to become more involved with the sex education aspect of public health.

From October 2007 to April 2008, I served on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s state Youth Advisory Council for HIV/AIDS. Through this council, I was able to actively express my opinions about different sex education materials used in schools as part of abstinence programs. I was also able to convey my thoughts regarding the abstinence-only programs used in North Carolina schools. Working with the program consultant for NC Healthy Schools initiative, and a dynamic group of other students from various other counties, I was able to gain insightful information about STDs as they relate to North Carolina. Lastly, while serving on this council, I was able to write a letter of support for a grant that NC Healthy Schools was trying to obtain.

My vision is to see people educated because individuals, like myself, are willing to make a difference in this world. I believe that through the North Carolina council, lives will be touched and dreams will be renewed. Through this council, I plan to continue my journey of advocacy by raising awareness for such a challenging social issue.