And my high school experience
taught me what's possible in so many ways.
First, it showed me
that I was a person with a voice.
Crosstown was nothing if not a school
that wasn't afraid to speak out.
A class that made a lasting difference for me
was my contemporary issues class
that I took my sophomore year of high school.
Crosstown's project-based model
allowed students, like myself, to explore topics
or in my case systemic inequalities
that they were passionate about.
What I wasn't expecting
was just how much I learned in that class.
That class has shaped, honestly,
probably the rest of my life.
It followed me throughout my high school career.
It's now followed me throughout my college career.
It's bled its way into my professional and personal lives.
It sparked a curiosity in me
and a drive to bring justice to the world
and to fight for those who may not be able
to fight for themselves.