What is one issue related to poverty and inequality that you think is most important right now?

An issue related to poverty and inequality that I find to be of utmost importance right now is the marginalization and erasure of students from low-income backgrounds within higher education. Colleges and universities have not created structures that allow for students to thrive in academics while working multiple jobs to support themselves and their families, and there is a lot of silence around the fact that many students are doing just this. This then impacts whether students can continue into graduate and professional programs, making these programs isolating for minority students who do go down this route. This is an issue that directly affects college-aged students but begins and continues well beyond this stage of life, and I think the more we can talk about how working and studying interact in our lives, the more we can combat the silence.

What quote most inspires you to fight against social injustice?

“We have the creativity and intelligence to solve the problems we face, but the vast majority of human ingenuity is tied up in fighting to survive oppression. That creativity is the single most essential natural resource on earth. The work of social justice is to free it.”

– Aurora Levins Morales