This semester, I had the opportunity to intern with Abortion in America, an organization committed to protecting reproductive rights through education, advocacy, and storytelling. My experience allowed me to work behind the scenes in support of such an important cause. By engaging with storytellers' content, I gained a deeper understanding of how recent legislation on reproductive rights has affected millions of lives. Working with Abortion in America has strengthened my passion for reproductive rights advocacy and reaffirmed my commitment to attending law school, where I hope to gain the tools needed to drive meaningful legislative change. Beyond reinforcing my commitment to driving change, I had the opportunity to learn valuable skills in social copy editing and event planning from my talented supervisors, Kiana Tipton and Grace Haley. By working with new technology and learning from my supervisors, I gained valuable insight into the process of monitoring audience engagement and developed a newfound appreciation for the time, strategy, and care it takes to produce impactful content on a critical issue. One of the most meaningful parts of the semester was working with content from the Abortion in America storytelling convening earlier this year in Austin, Texas. Hearing and engaging with these firsthand accounts made me realize how powerful storytelling can be. Putting real voices to policy impacts, building empathy, and creating emotional connections drives people to action. This experience showed me just how essential it is to create materials that resonate with and reach a broad audience. It pushed me to apply for a position on the executive board of Tulane’s Planned Parenthood Generation Action club. Upon my return this fall, I’m excited to step into the role of Social Media Coordinator for the club and continue building on the skills I developed during my time at Abortion in America. I’m incredibly grateful to the Newcomb Institute for providing this opportunity and to my team at Abortion in America for making the experience so meaningful, educational, and rewarding.
