Over the small course of eight weeks, I obtained a different perspective on things that occur in my small hometown. The All Access EKY Fellowship that I took part in was an eye-opening experience. I first heard about the position due to my teacher/mentor at my high school; she recommended that I apply due to my interest in activism along with my love for media/journalism work. Almost immediately after getting accepted, I knew that I was going to by committed to this wholeheartedly.
The job included a lot of hard work, discussion and brainstorming sessions that made me think in ways I haven’t before. I learned so much about the people that I live around, and the situations they struggle in. I saw, even more so, how important the work that the All Access group is doing. We received many positive, supportive reactions; we also received many negative ones.
Through these weeks I’ve heard many stories from several different people that felt enough of a connection to share them with me. I’ve gotten the privilege to travel with the other fellows and see new places I’ve never seen before. We went to a small, quaint little art gallery and screened a film, while there I was able to view art from all around the area, meet some people that believed in our work and learned some things about the region I reside in. I made new friends with the people I work with, and believe that we will have this friendship for a long time. I was able to participate in making media, and editing it. I was able to attend festivals and events that were exciting and fun. I met a poet/artist and she taught me how to put my feelings down on paper. And those examples are only a few.
The amount of information and appreciation I gained for this organization is astounding. People that normally wouldn’t have spoke to me about topics pertaining to birth control, now ask me for advice and questions. Now that I’ve immersed myself into this goal, I can see the effects slowly start to take shape. People get more comfortable with talking to strangers about their bodies every day. I see now that work like this can, and hopefully will, change the world.
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