By Erica Edman ‘21, Feature Editor

As much as I hate to admit it, I am not a very good student activist. I’ve signed up for tons of school clubs that I don’t go to, received reminders to call my state representatives that I don’t call, and been sent newsletters for events that I can’t attend. While I like to use the typical NA excuse of “I don’t have time!”, I think it’s about time that I make time. In order to learn how to become a better student activist, I talked to some students at Newark Academy that I admire for their work as lobbyists. By talking to these students, I created some strategies that I hope to implement in my life to become a better activist, and I hope that you will too. 

1. Attend School Clubs

School clubs are a great and easy way to contribute to a movement that you are passionate about. Neha Rodricks ‘20 learned that she was very passionate about preventing human trafficking. She used her position as president of the Human Rights Club to create an annual week-long fundraiser to raise money for a charity that she works with called EmpowerHer Network. Through Newark Academy, Neha was able to create real change and further the goal of ending human trafficking. Neha advises those looking to become better activists, “If you are passionate about a cause, it doesn’t matter how big or small, then you should do something about it.” 

1. Look Outside of NA

If you do not have time after school to attend clubs or you enjoy finding activities outside of the school community, finding different local organizations, events, or charities could be a great way to become a better student activist. For example, Kylie Bill ‘21 is extremely passionate about environmentalism. Along with being an active member of the Green and Blue Committee at Newark Academy, she also attends her town’s environmental commission meetings and is leading an effort to remove invasive plant species in her town to preserve biodiversity. Kylie suggests that good ways to be a part of the sustainability movement could be talking to your local board of education to make sure they are teaching about climate change or even just gathering a group of friends to pick up litter. Kylie’s method of activism could translate to any issue. If you are passionate about any cause, you can find many different ways, big or small, to further this cause. As Kylie says, “Don’t wait;” any time is a good time to make a difference. 

1. Do Anything!

If you do not have time to do any of the things listed above, that’s okay! You can still be a student activist simply by adjusting your own habits. For example, you can start bringing a reusable water bottle to school or even just discussing the news with your friends and learning more about different topics. Any steps taken to further a cause are steps in the right direction.