No Voices Left Behind by Brianna

No Voices Left Behind by Brianna - July 2022 Scholarship Essay

Potentially unpopular opinion: the American high school education system has simply failed to adequately address social issues. Why is slavery cloaked in American textbooks? Why do schools recognize cultural months, but don’t reinforce them yearlong? Why aren’t we talking about these topics more often? The ongoing absence of social justice in the curriculum has been constantly dismissed, but I discern it daily.
To compensate for my frustration, I release my sentiments through my favorite outlet: engaging in academically introspective discussions, specifically through American Civil Liberties Union Club (ACLU). These conversations make my heart flutter and captivate my mind.

When I first joined ACLU, I was always on the edge of my seat, eager to learn, and ready to gain a new understanding of a social issue. I left feeling cognizant, conversant, and passionate; like the time I convinced my parents to participate in the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) in Seattle. Each new discussion contributed to my overall perspective, similar to a picture slowly coming into focus. The more I learned about the bigger picture, the more alert I became about equity issues on a daily basis. Recently, I progressed to becoming a board member to advance broader knowledge and understanding of critical issues, specifically the lack of social justice in high school education. ACLU has allowed me to generate awareness of social justice issues that scale down to our own classroom.

Furthering my journey to change the education system, I wrote an AP Capstone research paper regarding the need for a social justice lens. Outside of the classroom, I tied my equity-minded perspective to the world around me by donating a percentage of profits from my small business to the NAACP. In the future, I aspire to spark meaningful change on a greater level by fusing social impact with entrepreneurship as a businesswoman. My goal is to create a business that builds diverse perspectives, supporting an environment of diversity and instilling inclusivity. From meeting demographic targets to eliminating wage gaps, my future company will work to influence workplaces and schools to address injustice issues that I currently see.