by Esmeralda, Pro-Choice North Carolina Campus Leader
My time so far as a Pro-Choice North Carolina Campus Leader intern has been a wonderful and great learning experience. As a Campus Leader at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, I have been able to meet many amazing students interested in learning about reproductive health care, rights, and justice and who are very supportive of the goals and purposes of Pro-Choice North Carolina.
The events I have held at UNCW so far this fall semester included introducing Pro-Choice North Carolina to the school to discuss the organization’s mission, providing resources to help students prepare for the municipal election, discussing the history of abortion, and how to fight back against the Hyde Amendment by writing to their legislators. I have also conducted two classroom presentations to talk about the social work profession and the importance of reproductive freedom for future clients. All these events and sessions have allowed me to talk with dozens of students, faculty, and staff about Pro-Choice North Carolina, about the current laws and limitations negatively impacting our communities, especially vulnerable communities, and how social workers and students alike can all contribute in a positive way to make an impact on our state.
By having these conversations and opportunities to not only speak with, but also hear from, our university community, we are making change happen. I have noticed no matter what the topic is, there have been some hesitations and concerns. Yet, I also noticed there is a desire to learn about reproductive justice, abortion, choice, and how we as college students can make a difference. Engaging the students, faculty, and staff is helping all of us to communicate better, learn from each other, grow our knowledge, and create positive change.
Students have been getting involved in activities to learn and teach others, to access and provide resources for themselves and others, and to reach out to their legislators to voice their opinions and concerns about the things that harm reproductive freedoms, such as with the Hyde Amendment. We are creating a change at UNCW to de-stigmatize topics related to reproductive freedom and to open conversations about abortion and reproductive health. All of this continues to affirm what I am doing as a social work student and as a Campus Leader.
I started off being nervous and unsure of how things would go at UNCW. As each event occurs, and as I continue to present to classrooms full of students ready to listen, I become more connected to our community. I love hearing from everyone about their experiences, their beliefs, and their thought processes regarding reproductive health care, rights, and justice. I look forward each week to speaking to someone new, helping them learn something they didn’t know, and learning to see things from the different perspectives of the unique individuals we have at our university. I am proud of the work we are doing at Pro-Choice North Carolina, and I am even more proud of the students who are willing to step out of their comfort zones to stand in the light of justice and truth. I have a lot more work to do and that includes continuing those conversations, continuing to provide contraceptive resources, and continuing to break down the outdated walls surrounding our thoughts to create new paths to positive change for all North Carolinians.
