By Amy -
There’s a quote from Hamlet my mom says to me every time we talk about my future: “This above all, to thine self be true.”
She always encouraged me to have a plan and to actively pursue my goals. Whatever it was, you fully immersed yourself. I’ll admit, my plan has changed a few times.
When I was younger I was inspired by Jane Goodall to be a monkey trainer and live in the jungle with the chimps. My mother knew that would never happen but being the supportive, wonderful person she is, she went along with it. I went to the zoo. I watched documentaries. I read every single monkey book my elementary school library had to offer.
Later, I changed my mind a felt that being an interior designer was maybe a better choice. Again, my mom encouraged me to give it my all. I went to workshops and showcases at a nearby interior design school. But then something changed again and I found a love for writing.
When I went to college, I decided I was going to major in broadcast journalism and then go to law school so I can be a political reporter. I took a political science class my freshman year and started investing myself more in politics.
But as time went on, I started to doubt myself. Thinking I wasn’t all that passionate about writing or even politics and honestly I was terrified of that realization. I thought I was already too deep to change my mind and nothing else intrigued me.
Near the end of my freshman year, I saw an investigation into planned parenthood by a group of journalists who went undercover and released videos. The story was about all the illegal and misleading things planned parenthood was doing behind closed doors.
I dove into research. I had never felt so drawn to anything in my life before. I had found my passion. I added political science as my second major and I added a minor in legal studies. I took summer classes, 18-credit semesters and one 23-credit semester. I had a goal and that goal was to do anything and everything to be involved in the pro-life movement.
It’s not easy being involved in something so controversial. Honestly, it’s scary. It’s hard enough to constantly prove that as a conservative woman, I do, in fact, have my own ideas and I’m not controlled by men like many people think.
It’s hard to go up against every women in the room about my views of abortion when they accuse me of betraying my own gender. As if being a woman meant you had to have a certain view. It’s amazing how many people really hate me right off the bat, or think they know me based off the words, “conservative woman.”
I believe in women's rights, equality, and the right to life. Not to be dramatic, but this movement literally gave my life meaning.
I am not interested in pushing my political views down anyone’s throat but I think that’s an important fact. Changing one person’s mind will mean everything to me. I will come home every day feeling like I’m making a difference.
And, what more could I ask for?