Societal Contributions by Mollie

Societal Contributions by Mollie - January 2024 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my life, I have strived for not only the happiness of myself, but for the happiness and well being of those around me. I attend a very large, very diverse high school, filled with students of many different races, religions, and social classes. My classmates all have very different backgrounds and experiences than I, something my school is very conscious of and strives to embrace and celebrate. But there are certain areas where my school falls short, a prominent example of this being providing female students with menstrual products.
In 2022, I became a student ambassador for a Boston-based company called E-Gal, who work to provide eco-friendly menstrual products, such as biodegradable pads and tampons to women all over Massachusetts. They also have a very unique product, pads on a roll, which are installed directly into bathroom stalls to provide free period product access. When speaking to students within my high school, I came to the discovery that many students and their families are unable to afford regular access to menstrual products, causing them to overwear products, go without them, or even steal them. I began to work with my school to find an efficient way to provide menstrual products for free to the students of Quincy High. This has been a slow process, but I am continuing to work towards the end goal.
This past spring, I was elected as a member of the Student Advisory Council for my school. This is an elected position making me a member of my city’s school board and school committee, allowing the student body to have a voice and say in the laws and policies put in place regarding schools. This has allowed me to continue working towards providing menstrual products, as well as tackling new issues, such as creating equal changing rooms in our schools gym, creating effective emergency plans and communicating them to the student body, and guiding the formulation of a new special education program.
In both of these positions, I have been graced with the opportunity to work for change, an opportunity I take very seriously. Throughout my high school career I have worked alongside teachers, administrators, and students to improve the student experience within my high school. This hard working attitude is one I wish to bring with me into all aspects of my future, helping those around me for as long as I'm able.