Name: Karina
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Astrological Sign: Scorpio sun, capricorn moon, aquarius rising
Hobbies: Cooking with my airfryer, crocheting random little accessories and things, writing poetry, and walks in the sun
Favorite Snack: Obsessed with white cheddar popcorners and Trader Joe’s off-brand goldfish
How did you become involved with Planned Parenthood?
I got involved with the Reproductive Justice club and the advisor who was also my Women Gender and Sexuality Studies advisor told me about the summer internship and the Generation Action internship during the fall! I have done my share of feminist work in the past, but this is my first time working with Planned Parenthood.
Why is it important for you to advocate for sexual and reproductive health care?
Because I had people in my life that fought to advocate for me and I want to be that for someone else. Teachers taught me accurate and helpful sex education. The adults in my life were open about health care and how to take care of myself. People told me that they’d always be in my corner. When I got to college, I learned that not everybody has people like that in their corner, and I wanted to do the best I could to be an advocate for those people.
What does it mean to you to be an activist/advocate in your community?
Not everything I fight for is something I’ve experienced, so one of my major jobs as an advocate is knowing when and how to listen. Once you know when to speak up and when to listen, you get to know a lot about your community outside of your own experiences. Learning accountability has been huge. We don’t live in a cookie cutter textbook world, so sometimes when you create or speak up on things you don’t 100% understand, you can end up misstepping. By making sure I have people who will correct me and making sure I hold myself accountable, I can try my best to right the wrongs I have been a part of.
What are you excited to learn this summer as a Path to Power Intern?
Because I’m going to be doing the Generation Action internship in the fall with the Reproductive Justice club on my campus, I wanted to learn about the nuts and bolts of organizing this summer. I can have 100 ideas of events to put on, but if I don’t know what the process is between coming up with the idea and actually having the events then I would serve no purpose to the rest of the club. I’m hoping that this internship helps me become more confident with the nuts and bolts of organizing.
What role do you think young people have in fighting for reproductive freedom and health equity?
Young people play one of, if not the most important, role when it comes to this fight. These positions of power will end up being passed down to this generation, and we have the opportunities to educate and provide ourselves with the tools and knowledge now, so we don’t make the same mistakes down the road.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to get involved in advocating for sexual and reproductive health care?
Jump in head first! I have a tendency to always jump in head first to things I’m interested in. It’s how I got my position as a 4-H state ambassador a few years back! I applied because I didn’t know much about 4-H, but I got to present at statewide conferences and make really cool connections. I got into the reproductive justice club by just participating in class discussions and having conversations with my advisor.
Tags: