As a young student, I often feel very removed from those in power and the decision making process. This summer, through NCSD, I was given the opportunity to finally get to meet and educate those who make decisions for my community.

NCSD gave me the opportunity to participate in an Intern Summer Series Titled “Sex and Politics in the Capitol City” hosted by InterAction, a six-week program where I participated in educational workshops surrounding reproductive rights and sexual health. As a part of the Intern Series, I was trained on how to meet with my elected officials on Capitol Hill. I was able to tell my community’s story, and I watched my peers make some great asks for legislation that would impact access to services and high quality sexual health education.

In preparation for my Hill meetings, I learned how to put together an exciting infographic that I shared at the meetings. The one page infographic used national and localized data to paint a compelling picture of some of the biggest needs in STD prevention and sexual health more broadly.

I told my story and educated Hill staffers on the effects that lack of sexual health education and resources can have on young people. Partnering storytelling with data was a powerful way to garner support. We wanted our elected officials (and their staff) to fully understand how much of an emergency the STD and teen pregnancy rates have become. Together with fellow interns from other organizations, I sat down with health staffers from three California districts and educated them on the significance of having inclusive and medically accurate sex education and sexual health resources, both across the US and globally. It was empowering to partner with other young people who were also very passionate about sexual health and health equity.

The following day, I took what I learned one step further. I joined change makers from throughout the country at the NCSD Policy Academy. Here, I learned about effective messaging and communication, and participated in another set of hill visits. I joined two public health leaders from Connecticut as they embarked on educational Hill visits with their two Senators and a Member of Congress. They shared statistics, shared emotional stories, and sparked important conversations on health disparities in their community.

By participating in hill meetings I experienced storytelling of two different generations. Comparing the powerful stories of the youth and adults, I found the cases to be disturbingly similar. STD rates are rising, marginalized communities are still most at risk, and teen pregnancy continues to flourish. The sexual health of our communities is a concern that can no longer be swept under the rug. In these meetings, regardless of our ages, we were actively bringing this concern to light and using our privilege to tell the stories of those who couldn’t be telling their own. I loved being able to continue to learn of the power of our voices. Never did I imagine I would be sitting in the offices of U.S. Representatives and Senators, but I feel incredibly thrilled and privileged to have had the opportunity to do so.