Aaliyah

Each day I am able to work side-by-side with some of the most amazing people I have ever met. These people have inspired me to continue to tackle greater community issues. Although I am very passionate about teenage pregnancy, my greatest passion is working to make political changes, especially around the area of prison reform.

Abbey

I can’t remember a time when reproductive and sexual justice was not something I cared deeply about. My parents always taught me to fiercely defend my own body and the choices I make with it.

Aldo

We live in a world dominated by depicted images of beauty and sex. We alone have the power to set new standards for ourselves and our generation.

Alex

As I learn more and more about the impact of youth activism I am compelled to help young people find their voices and speak out.

Alexandra

Young people can provide information to many different groups in various creative ways. I strongly believe that young people are the future, and will be very effective in talking to other youth. Who better to learn from than your peers?

Alimatu

What especially saddens me, is the fact that hundreds of years (in some cases) and many decades later, many black people all over the world still have this slave mentality (negative thinking about themselves) despite slavery and colonization being over.

Amy

I only hope to be the guidance young girls need because I know that I needed guidance once. I know there are many factors in a young teenager’s life that aid in negative outcomes however I also know to achieve dreams takes hard work and faith.

Anali

The sexual and reproductive health movement movement needs young people’s direction in the years ahead. I believe we can play a very important role. Who knows better what should happen with sexual and reproductive health rights than the group of people for whom those rights are most often ignored or denied?

Andre

I see the contribution of young people in the process of influencing policy to support the sexual and reproductive Health of young people. I also appreciate the realization that people can come to when they learn something new and are willing to start changing their behaviors to a more positive lifestyle. 

Ariel

It is my personal belief and my conviction that every child, every young person, if given the right tools in life, can achieve anything they dare to achieve. Empowering youth to reach their full potential, to do what is hard and achieve what is great is my passion.

Ashley

Growing up in a pious environment can hinder the ability to be honest about “unacceptable” behavior.  This includes sex, homosexuality, etc.  Without a medium to express ourselves freely, the youth in my community are left uneducated and at risk.

Azalia

I want to help other teens by telling my story. Teen moms can teach other teens our stories and help them make better choices about their futures.

Bianca

I am very determined person who wants to bring awareness in my community of teen pregnancy and STD/STI rates. I am excited to be apart of Illinois Caucus on Adolescent Health and feel my voice can be heard and that I can change my community and the world.

Brandee

In high school, I felt the health classes that were offered only stated the facts and did not empower the students, nor did they give the options to pursue a better life. Through peer pressure, many of my friends fell victim and caught various STDs and gave birth to children that were in many cases unplanned.

Chelsea

I got involved in activism because I could tell that my peers were becoming misinformed, and I felt that the schools were not doing their part in providing complete information about sexual health to this generation's youth.

Christal

I feel that if ministers, teachers, and adults as a whole took a more realistic approach to sex and sexuality, they would talk openly and honestly with teens and show them ways to protect themselves.

Colleen

I think young people can be the motivators and inspiration in the sexual and reproductive health movement - we are the voices of today and tomorrow.

Cree

After my stepfather kicked me out, and I was homeless, I used my body as a means to survive. Realizing I had contracted HIV, made me feel like I had hit rock bottom. When you get that low, the only way for you to go is up, and so that is what I did.

Cristina

Our generation will be the most diverse generation in the history of the United States. Do you know what this means? We have the ability to make such a strong statement. Latino, black, white, or yellow—if we stand together, hand in hand, can you begin to fathom the impact we’d have if we all worked together?

Dan

Our generation can step up to the plate and make real, meaningful change in this movement, and there are so many of us who want to do just that.

Daniel

I am a huge activist on HIV/AIDS prevention education. My freshman year while at college, I met a student who was positive. After an intimate conversation with him about his daily interactions with closed minded persons, it made me want to help.

Daniel

I believe in the power and the potential people have to create the change we need, and I hope that through doing work such as this, I can not only tap into my own power and potential, but also that of others.

David

It has become my passion to help others and encourage and motivate others to strive to reach their ultimate goals. It feels really rewarding when I know that I have made an impact on a person, especially when it’s for their benefit.

Devin

I have always been very conscious of the internalized racism that affects the interaction between many communities of color, especially since we need to work together to make an impact.

E

I am constantly reminded about the incredible stigma young people, gay or straight, face. I know that when youth are given a chance to participate constructively, we can achieve great things.

Eileen

Even though I was routinely taught that premarital sex was “bad,” I came to know sex as something that can be very enjoyable and special, and I believe that no one should be made to feel guilty for desiring it.

Eli

I believe that one of the best ways to ensure the wellbeing of the younger generation is to educate them in ways to keep themselves healthy and make good decisions.

Emilio

I hope to be a helping hand in reducing teen pregnancy in North Carolina, and make sure that teens are informed about sexuality, and that they make healthful, wise decisions for themselves. With Advocates for Youth at my side, I also hope to learn about making good decisions for myself.

Giovanna

I understand that as a member of this generation, youth are the only people who can fight for themselves. As a young woman of color, we are the only ones who can use our experiences to fight for ourselves.

Hilina

When I was in grade six, my teacher was living with HIV/AIDS and died soon after.  I became interested in fighting this deadly disease by promoting the healthy behavior change of youth. This is the reason why I do this work.

Idia

I want to let the world know that the more we, as a society, ignore the fact that HIV and teen pregnancy are real, the more harm will be done to future generations.

JAC

I want to create awareness, not just about queer issues, but all symptoms of oppression that restrain personal growth and happiness. And I want everyone to be able to find their communities of support without having to go looking because it will be all around them.

Jae

All too often, I think that young people are pressured into putting themselves in a box. There are so many ways to express yourself in and outside of relationships. And you don’t have to be the same person in the same box your whole life!

James

I see a situation where my fellow youth are living healthy with or without the HIV virus and the issue of stigmatization is erased from our minds.  I am an inspirational speaker, hardworking, focused, honest, reliable and determined to fight against HIV/AIDS and reduce stigmatization in our society.

Jenny

It is nice to get the chance to be involved with each health class but by graduation all of the students have forgotten any information that was given during the presentation. It would be nice to have some follow-up—at least once a year—to better arm students for being safe at college.

Jocelyn

I am so proud to be able to work with youth advocates because HIV is not an issue of the past and not just something that affects people in Africa or homosexuals. The taboo of this virus is still very much alive and still very much underestimated and misreported.

Joe

I have been very fortunate in my life because my mother has always been an advocate of comprehensive sex education classes.  She exposed me to activism at a young age, ranging from taking me to teen parenting classes to telling me stories of when she would meet with policy makers to lobby for comprehensive sex education.

John

There are many stigmas and prejudices that block the achievement of  successfully preventing and responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Credible knowledge needs to be spread to everyone regarding the crisis. The youth of America and those young people in the rest of the world are responsible for this task. We are the future.

J'Vawnna

I advocate for the accessibility of women’s health information in order to empower women to make health-conscious choices and create healthy lifestyles for themselves-increasing the power of personal CHOICE!

Kathleen

I have a passion for combining art, activism, and social justice issues. I just finished a 6 week 1,800+ mile bike trip from New Orleans to New York City with 10 other women from across the United States for Reproductive Justice.

Kayla

In my community, comprehensive sex education was not a part of our high school’s curriculum. Our school’s administration invited several speakers to the school preaching abstinence-only and handed out virginity pledge after virginity pledge.

Kike

I believe young people should be given a chance to express themselves with encouragement and support. I didn’t get all of that while I was growing up and it had  adverse effects like low self esteem, lack of self confidence, and inability to make the right simple choices. Now, I have changed.

Krystle

The main component of my advocacy work during my undergraduate career has been campus organizing, particularly around the involvement and networking of social justice organizations, political clubs, and cultural groups on campus.

Lanine

Lanine exercises her skills in relationship development, recruitment, and facilitation while collaborating with  community partners in New Jersey communities heavily affected by HIV and STIs.  

Lauren

The most effective sex education I received was from my own life experience.  I have certainly made some mistakes along the way, but I have made many sound decisions as well.  I am the kind of person who believes in “no regrets” because I honestly think things happen for a reason. 

Lee

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.

Lizzie

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.

Mackenzie

Both of my parents support me completely with all of my passions and I have been very fortunate to have such a great down-to-earth family.  My mother worked at Planned Parenthood for twenty years and I began volunteering there, at the young age of 10.

Medua

I believe that through his work with the national youth leadership council, I will continue to develop my skills, achieve my goals, and make a difference in the policies that affect young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Mimi

I knew that girls had the right to climb trees; I knew that abuse was not normal even though it felt like a routine. I knew it was wrong the way doctors sneered at my grandmother and I when translating from English to Spanish and back.

Monique

Social change was an unrelenting personal calling. As a student, I began to explore the breadth and depth of inequity and marginalization through my classes and personal run-ins with privileged populations on my campus.

Nekeisha

I am passionate about these issues because I have seen first hand how people my age and older lack information about sexual and reproductive health in Jamaica.

Nickie

Even in the era of AIDS, governments believe they have the right to control our bodies and withhold our basic human rights. The only way to stop this is to fight for what you believe in.

Nobles

As a young man I feel it’s the responsibility of those of us who are older or around the same age as these youth to make sure they are being given enough information and being made aware of all the issues regarding sex. I believe we are the future and if the future isn’t prepared to step up when the time comes, how can we exist or even function?

Omega

I know the pressures that females face as we mature and how being a minority can sometimes add to those complications. It can be difficult to know where to turn when you face major life issues, but you don't have to face your problems alone.

Orain

During my years in high school, I helped to organize many marches against crime and violence against youth and in support of youth empowerment. Also, I was born to a single mother who barely had the means to provide for the family.  Through my personal struggle and drive for social change, I am proud to be apart of J-STAR.

Paige

I want to give a voice to other teenagers that are my age and prove that we can make a difference. I hope to raise awareness about sex education. I want schools to have guidelines about what to teach and how to teach it. I want students to have available resources, programs and help whenever they need it.

Rasher

I hope to enhance my training in advocacy work and make a difference for the youth of Jamaica. I am goal-oriented and very focused; I am very driven and I know what I want. I plan to integrate youth development into my career and mentor youth to make healthy, responsible decisions.

Robel

I personally believe that art is the best way to reach  most  people, especially  youth because they are interested in colorful messages like music, cartoons, comic books, etc. Now, I am using the creativity and passion I share for reproductive and sexual health issues to advocate in Ethiopia.

Rochelle

I believe that once there are people willing to hear the voices of young people, inform them, interact with them, and join them in the movement, we will start to see a change in young people—which is why I am so excited to be a part of J-STAR!

Ryan

Why are black men always getting arrested, why are teen mothers getting younger and younger, and with all the information available nowadays why is HIV/AIDS so rampant among my people?

 Salimah

 As a growing young woman, I have been fortunate enough to find my place in this world at a young age. I know I have a passion for reducing health risks and increasing survival in the African American community. I want to make a difference in this world and leave it better than I found it.

Scott

Most of my activism branched from my own personal struggles.  When I came out my freshman year of college I started becoming more interested in the politics surrounding my sexuality.

Sebsiebe

I decided to become an activist because I have a great passion for solving the problems of health issues in Ethiopia. I believe that people are highly affected by HIV/AIDS, due to lack of awareness and poverty. Mostly, I work on creating awareness about HIV and AIDS, reproductive health, and abuses of power on women and children.

Sierra

My passion in this life is to be an advocate to those who do not have a voice in this world and to help bring awareness and change to people among minority, women and youth populations.

Taina

No matter what, we are NOT invincible. HIV/AIDS can be contracted by anyone, even YOU… even ME! It is our time to be empowered to take charge and make it a priority to make responsible and informed decisions.

Taryn

I've helped a lot of my friends through situations with parents and friends. I've helped out in G&S alliances at my friends schools and am currently trying to slowly get one at my school right now.

Terica

I wholeheartedly believe that each individual determines his or her final destination. Too often in our life’s we allow our stepping stones to become our stumbling blocks...and we loose sight of our own goals, aspirations, and dreams in the process.

Theodora

I've never really known for sure what I am in terms of sexual orientation, so I've stopped labeling myself, but I totally respect and understand both the need for people to have labels and the lack of rights that queer people have.

Theodore

I strongly believe that all the events in my life were for a purpose. Presently, I see where I am growing and everyday I am getting better at what I do best; representing my peers.

Thompson

I am a jovial person and I love to see people being active in things they are passionate about. I am proud to be a peer educator and a member of the national youth leadership council.  I am happy and willing to work with all my strength and support.

Tope

Tope,he Advocacy Coordinator of EVA, is the manager of the International Youth Speak Out project in Nigeria. In this role, he coordinates the activities of the youth leadership council.

Vanessa

I am very committed to teaching young people about sex, the consequences, the diseases, and even the good parts! But my overall focus is to educate and spread knowledge so children are not making unsafe and even deadly decisions when it comes to sex and their bodies.

Wubit

I am proud to be a member of the Ethiopian Youth Council for Higher Opportunities (ECHO), with the support of Talent Youth Association and Advocates for Youth.  Now, I believe I can help others understand the challenges of reproductive and sexual health and create solutions.

Zekarias

During my high school and college years, I became very involved in sexual and reproductive health issues, HIV prevention, and environmental protection. Since then, I have worked as a volunteer for different youth development programs.

Zemen

Originally from Ethiopia, I live a fractured life: fractured between two realities — Third World and First. I am deeply passionate about improving health on an international level for all of humanity.