Lizzie is a member of the Texas Youth Leadership Council.

My name is Lizzie and I am a freshman at Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX. Last spring I graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas.  Going to an inner city public high school, I saw first hand the consequences of not providing science based sex education in schools.  Each day I saw no fewer than three pregnant teenagers walking through the hallways, many of them only fifteen or sixteen years old.  Telling kids that abstinence is the only way and to just say no, never has been and never will be an effective way of preventing unwanted pregnancy with today’s teenagers.  It is absolutely necessary to present all birth control options to pre-teens and teenagers around the state in a fair and unbiased manner.

I’ve been a strong advocate of keeping the church and state separate in Texas for several years. In 2005 I worked to stop the amendment of the state constitution banning same-sex marriages.   When the amendment was passed I was disappointed, though not surprised.  For too long Texas has been a dark stain on civil rights in America. 

I have also been very involved in efforts to stop the genocide in Darfur.  In May 2007, I held a rally at my school to help raise awareness and funds for Save Darfur.  We were able to raise more than $1000 and also had more than three hundred petitions signed that were sent to Senators and Congress.  Last fall I worked with the SMU Amnesty International club to organize Art for Darfur, an art auction in which all of the proceeds were donated to the International Rescue Committee. 

During college it is my goal to continue work on ensuring basic human rights for all people around the world.  I want to help the USA to live up to its promise of freedom and equality for all people.  I hope to join the Peace Corps after I graduate and want to be placed somewhere in Africa.  I believe that is my responsibly to use the incredibly fortunate life I’ve been blessed with to help those who have not been as lucky as I have.