Still, We Stay: On Softness, Action, and Becoming
I didn’t enter advocacy through a spotlight. I arrived through silence—observing, writing, and trying to make sense of the things that didn’t sit right with me. I was just a student who kept asking, Why are things the way they are? And does it always have to be like this?
Photo Cr: Andrei Shiptenko (UnSplash)
Youth-led change, for me, began with curiosity. I started blogging about mental health, social pressure, inequality in education, and the silent struggles of young people like me. From there, I found spaces that welcomed stories—Schoolhouse, Youth Transforming Narratives, and other youth-led platforms where conversations feel like home. Through these, I’ve spoken not as someone who knows everything, but as someone willing to ask, listen, and learn.
I joined Zoom discussions about global leadership, engaged with young advocates from across the world, submitted essays to platforms like the John Locke Institute, and used every opportunity—no matter how small—to write and reflect. I’ve learned that meaningful engagement doesn’t always look like protests or headlines. Sometimes, it’s a message that says, “Thank you, I felt seen.”
My work is shaped by empathy. It’s driven by this belief: that even the quietest voice, when rooted in truth, can stir something. And if one person finds clarity or courage in something I wrote, that ripple matters.
So maybe this is what youth-led change can look like—imperfect, quiet, still becoming, but real. Built from lived experiences, handwritten journals, coffee-stained essays, and conversations with strangers who became community.
And honestly, I’m still figuring it out—still unsure, still learning. But I try. I listen, I speak up when I can, and I stay open to growth. Because youth engagement, to me, isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it’s just choosing to care, even when no one’s watching. That’s where I believe change begins—and that’s where I choose to begin, too.