As the only student with gay parents in my New York middle school, I became the defacto sex-ed informant… While we did have a health class, it was entirely focused on heterosexual sex, leaving all non-heterosexual students with questions they turned to me or to social media to answer.
My family tries to avoid going outside of our house for unnecessary reasons. We try to protect ourselves as much as possible. Every time we go out of the door, we are very aware of any potential threats to us.
As a Latino student in Half Moon Bay, it worries me that my community is overlooked and not properly supported within our schools. I worry for future students who may not have the resources needed to succeed in their own community.
“The community wasn’t comfortable with me, and I would constantly get stopped [by police] for no reason, as they assumed I had no permit. Protesting and getting our community involved has made things tolerable, but discrimination is still seen on the streets.”
In the Bay Area, hate crimes against Asians increased by close to 150% in 2020 throughout the pandemic…Students need to release their emotions, raise awareness for what is happening in the community, and learn how to take action to solve the issue.
It’s 3:30 a.m. and my parents are waking up my siblings and I for another day at the flea market. That’s how our mornings started every weekend for 5 years – wake up, get dressed and help pack any last items before heading off to the flea market. All those years at the flea market helped pay for food and the bills, as well as help my siblings and I earn some money so we can buy items we like.
Only 28% of the workforce in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) are women. According to Yale Scientific Magazine, “women make up 34.5% of STEM faculty at academic institutions.” To balance out the gender imbalance in the STEM workforce, we need more representation and opportunities for women.
Jefferson Union High School District should mandate environmental science as a required course so that students will be made aware of the issue, recognize how the issue impacts their personal lives, and be encouraged to pursue future studies in climate change.
