T. Nicole Casey

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." ~Maya Angelou~

I love this quote; it helps us all to acknowledge that people grow each day and we should always remember our journey through life.

My name is Teresa Nicole Casey, I am 22 years old and I was born and raised in South Carolina. My childhood was fairly normal for life in that part of the county. I went to school, participated in some extracurricular activities and had a best friend. However, I was never exposed to politics, the human rights movement or the notion of women's rights. Ever. These were all things I have learned in my journey that began in 2003...

Three years ago I moved to San Jose, CA, to join City Year (CY) where I tutored and mentored children and ran after school programs in the inner city. After serving a year in San Jose, I moved to Arkansas to help start CY Little Rock. In Little Rock, I set up community service days and educated community members about the importance of public service. In 2004 I became a card carrying member of the National Organization for Women. In April 2005 I became the Vice President of Little Rock NOW and in June I became the state vice president. Currently, I work at Planned Parenthood, in the community affairs department and I am attending a local community college to work toward a degree in political science.

I have learned a lot in the last three years. I have learned about team work, diversity and how to plan events. More importantly I have also learned about equality and justice; and learned that in the world women are not treated as equals and that is not just. This is pure and simple. I know that serving on the Young Feminist Task Force is another opportunity for me to stand up for what I believe in and to help me be a better feminist.