A significant issue in my community that I aim to tackle is rape culture. This issue is the deeply ingrained attitudes about gender power dynamics and women that normalize and perpetuate sexual violence. It infiltrates every corner of society, from a collegiate to global level, and affects everyone. Attitudes and behaviors include jokes about sexual violence, objectification, victim-blaming, and inadequate legal responses to assault. This is an issue I witness often in my community. Boys consistently make desensitized jokes and comments about girls’ bodies as if we are objects. The boy who did not ask for my consent, did not ask because he didn’t even understand what it was or why it was important. I know this is an issue that many women and others in my community are impacted by. I seek to combat it through raising impact awareness, addressing related issues like harmful gender norms, and, crucially, teaching consent. Many people lack understanding of what consent truly entails, perpetuating sexual violence and rape culture. 

Combating rape culture requires academic expertise in areas like sex education and sexual violence prevention, along with efforts through media campaigns, open discussions, and uncensored education. I plan to lead this discourse and organize campaigns focused on educating people about rape culture, beginning with my college campus before expanding. It’s crucial not only to educate communities on consent and the impact of sexual violence but also empower them to teach others. Focus should be on educating children—particularly boys—about consent from an early age, integrating prevention into secondary education, and prioritizing restorative processes for offenders to address harmful actions. We must spread awareness about these strategies through collaborative discourse. A world less dominated by sexual violence would foster greater community empowerment and gender cooperation, leading to increased collaboration, productivity, and global satisfaction. 

In college, I am interested in studying political science, psychology, and philosophy. My intended career is in social justice and advocacy, where I will apply my studies to address community needs. Political science most intrigues me because I love engaging in governing politics. I can see myself as a future Missouri or U.S. Representative, defending civil rights and implementing beneficial policies. Psychology fascinates me, as I enjoy discovering how humans learn and influence one another. Studying psychology will help me better understand and mitigate society’s behavioral patterns and generational trauma. Philosophy is crucial to me because it promotes critical thinking about morality, justice, and society, something I have appreciated in two years of studying it.

My collegiate studies will foster my abilities to implement change in my community, forever shaping how I leave my mark on the world. I want to see an end to rape culture and a communal effort to combat it. I know that through my education and efforts, I can help achieve that. I will continuously strive to make the world more peaceful and constructive by addressing the needs in my community, such as fighting for an end to rape culture and for a safer world for all.