Sally Mercedes

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

I believe the single most important thing any person can do is to work actively towards improving society. Social justice and gender equality are my biggest passions, so I jumped at the chance to be on NOW's Young Feminist Task Force.

I have never shied away from identifying myself as a feminist—in fact, I often say it is the only label I am completely comfortable with claiming. A large part of that is because it identifies the value I place on equality, my concern for other issues as well (I believe in the statement that every issue is a women's issue), and my need to actively seek social change at all times. Our world needs a change and I'm eager to be part of that change.

I am a big believer that an individual can deeply impact another person by giving them their "AHA!" moment. The thing I loved most about my college experience was having the opportunity to be active on my campus. My Women's Studies classes really made me think about what was going on in the world about me and encouraged me to find ways of getting involved. Through my involvement in various organizations on campus, particularly my sorority Sigma Lambda Upsilon, I was able to address issues that are important to me as a young feminist. I wanted to make the campus more conscious of issues concerning women and minorities—touching on everything from reproductive rights to the media's portrayal of marginalized groups (especially women, Blacks, Latinos, Asians and LGBT communities). I am proud of this work because I recall many times when someone said afterwards "I never thought of it that way before" or "That made me want to go out and do something about it." Leaving that reaction in even one person is my goal in everything I do.

Since graduating, I have built on this goal by working with The Women's Mosaic, a non-profit organization that seeks to educate, inspire, and motivate women to rise up and rock the world! Not only is this a mission I can completely stand behind, but I have also found a great way to communicate with other women about how to best improve women's lives here and all over the world. The Women's Mosaic reminds me of the power every individual has, and how to use that power for good. I also work at an after school program, where I run a leadership and mentoring activity with junior high school girls. I love the work I do with them because they now have a space where they are free to express themselves and identify the issues they find important. Some of these girls have so much passion and energy that it re-ignites my fire when it starts to go down. I love my little visionaries!

I am most excited to be a part of the Young Feminist Task Force because it will be the perfect way to use all of my experience on an even larger scale. I know the work of NOW impacts countless women, and the Young Feminist Task Force can play an important role in that work. I'm ready to meet this challenge head on—my revolutionary muscle is in need of a good stretch.

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