Today’s world can be quite overwhelming for students, from college application deadlines to dealing with deteriorating mental health on a daily basis. Yet some students are stepping up and using their voice to create the change they want.

Student activism looks different for everyone. Aiden Beatty, a senior, says that just “showing up” is a big step into creating ripples. Having volunteered with local political campaigns, voter registration and walkouts, Beatty discussed how effective it is to “start conversations with the people around you,” alluding to the power of communication and the ripple effects that one conversation can have, from a single person outward.

For some student activists like Carson Cucarola, a junior, their issue affects them daily. Cucarola discussed how “you shouldn’t be afraid to go to school” as a result of the gun violence and mass shootings across the country. He also states, “We’re going to be the ones changing the future,” so young people and students have the responsibility of finding their passion and fighting for it.

Getting involved as a student activist doesn’t always equate to being directly involved with politics. Lizzie Becker, a senior, is a board member for Robbie’s Hope Foundation. Becker says, “We all have mental health,” and “everyone deals with it,” highlighting why she believes in starting the conversation to help destigmatize mental health and teenage suicide.

One commonality of these activists is that they feel that being a student activist is a part of their daily lives, since they feel so passionately about their respective issue. Becker discussed how more students making their voices heard recently has showed that young people “are going to start speaking up” and fighting tooth and nail for what they believe in.