How I Will Bring Change by Sara

How I Will Bring Change by Sara - June 2020 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my life, I have always been one to selflessly help others. I feel that if I have privileges that others do not, then it is my duty to use my privileges to aid those who need it most. I have also consistently been one to strongly stand up for my beliefs; for the fairness, equality, and justice of everyone. Because of that, I knew I had to go into a field of justice. A field where I can highlight the inconsistencies of our society all the while having the ability and education to help fix them. A field where I can use my writing and critical thinking skills, and still have a choice about how those skills get put to use. I decided that I needed to be a social and environmental justice activist. Although this career in and of itself is intended to promote change in the world, I think that I can help to bring change within the field by increasing the practice of constructive discussion, creating safe spaces where voices of all opinions and backgrounds can be heard, and promoting progressive creative solutions.

Knowing how to have a constructive, civilized, and proper debate and/or discussion has been part of my education for as long as I can remember. One that acknowledges the other sides, and that allows for expression of opinion all the while being respectful. For as much as this has been ingrained as part of my education, I often see adults unable to have conversations that follow this guidance. When even the top leaders, of both this country and the world, don’t know how to engage in a civil discussion without creating tension and conflict it raises many concerns within me. By not knowing or caring to carry out discussion in this format, it causes people to stay blindly fighting with each other. It leaves no room for progression and problem solving if people at the very top all the way down to the bottom of the totem pole continue to have stagnant conversations. In my field of study and career, I hope to encourage and facilitate more constructive open minded conversations to allow for real change to take place.

Along the same train of thought, I hope to create safe spaces for all opinions and voices to be heard when talking about social change. I believe one of humanity’s greatest faults is our pride. When we identify ourselves with something, we find every way possible to defend it. We label ourselves as ‘us’ vs ‘them’, no matter what the topic is, to have a sense of conformity within our lives. In doing so, we also create a negatively biased view about anything coming from someone in the ‘them’ category. This causes loads of tension and conflict solely due to surface labels and generalizations about others. In an environment where change is needed, I think it is crucial that as a society we start to open our minds to the perspectives of others and not immediately discount them simply because they do not align with our own personal views. In the end, everyone doesn’t have to completely agree. However, people should at least try to see things from outside their views because change does affect everyone, so I think it is important to include and validate everyone in progressive discussions.

Finally, one of the most important aspects of change, in my opinion, are the solutions. Anyone can complain and fight about what they think is unfair or unjust, but if there are no real solutions to the problem(s) then no one will want to continue listening. A big part of progression in social change is finding new ways to problem solve that haven’t been done before; because clearly if there is still an issue then the strategies of the past didn’t work. This type of thinking requires modern creativity and innovation. It needs the minds of those who in the past haven’t been given the space to use their voices. I strongly believe that if we can work hard to develop solutions, strategies, and plans of action that address the social environment we currently live in, instead of continuing to use methods that adhere to a past society, then that is where we will accomplish the most change. And I fully intend on being part of these types of solutions.

In the end, there are dozens of ways to contribute to the ever growing modern society. However, it all boils down to one thing: positive equitable change. As a young woman growing up in the 21st century, I have seen countless issues that need to be fixed, and countless times that those same issues go unchecked and ignored. I want to live in a world where progression doesn’t have to mean violence or pain. I want to live in a world that I can be proud of. As the classic saying goes, “Leave it better than you found it.” Which is exactly what I intend to do through both this career choice of social and environmental justice as a whole, and through the changes within the field.