Writing for Freedom Coffee Chat

What is your own interest/experience in the nonprofit sector?

Growing up in a low-income, single-parent household, I’ve learned to recognize how systemic barriers can affect everyday life. I saw it in the way my grandma compared grocery items to the very cent. In the way, I fell asleep in class because I worked late nights to cover my car payments. In the way, my mother lost clients because she didn’t have perfect English. Through my school’s Key Club, I was able to spearhead projects that addressed problems like equitable education, food insecurity, and even animal warfare. In my Hood Feminism writing seminar, I got to expand my understanding of the diverse experiences of women: sexual violence, drug abuse, language barriers. But it wasn’t until I actually visited the Agape women’s center when I really saw it up-close. There’s so many stereotypes surrounding drug users, homeless people, and even women who get assaulted, but meeting these women up close really humanized their experiences. Not only do I empathize with their struggles, but I also am inspired by how far they’ve come. With the programming and community at Agape, these women are able to turn their lives around. Thanks to Writing for Freedom, these women can have their stories shared with the world.

What drew you to Writing for Freedom?

The women in my life have really inspired me–but their experiences are underrepresented. When we think of feminism, we think of abortion rights, voting, equal wages, but it’s rare to talk about how immigrant women put up with domestic violence, it doesn’t talk about mothers struggling to find work with no English, it doesn’t talk about black women being sexualized and blamed for their own rape. These feminist problems are intersectional. Through their writing workshops and mentorship programs, Writing for Freedom gives these women of color the voice to share their marginalized realities that mainstream feminist movements overlook. Of course, I’m looking to contribute my background in persuasive writing and project coordination to the mission, but I’m also excited to see the empowerment writing can have on these women.

What is your experience in persuasive writing?

As a first-year at Yale, I’ve developed a versatile approach to persuasive writing by tailoring my arguments for legal and academic audiences. For instance, in Moot Court, I co-authored a 20-page brief that required me to synthesize Supreme Court precedents into a rigorous legal argument. In contrast, my Hood Feminism seminar allowed me to use more narrative-driven prose to challenge patriarchal ideologies and advocate for intersectional perspectives. But no matter the style, my goal is always the same: to build a narrative that is both evidence-based and emotionally resonant. I’d be more than happy to share my Hood Feminism paper as a sample of how I approach these complex topics. I have a lot to learn, though, so I’m really excited to learn from the women at Writing for Freedom and develop my voice.

How have you engaged in research?

I’ve had the opportunity to research in several different settings. For a consulting project with Unbound Potential, I am conducting top-down market sizing of the Global BESS market, synthesizing data from sources like BloombergNEF and McKinsey to forecast growth through 2050. In AI for Future Presidents, I researched the economic disruption of AI in the customer service sector. Through my papers in Hood Feminism, I synthesized complex social theories into persuasive arguments, researching the systemic barriers that marginalized communities face. Whether it’s conducting market research or analyzing a social movement, I’m committed to navigating large datasets and academic theory to formulate my own convictions.