Melanie is a 24 year old student studying to get her major in psychology. She found Jer’s Vision a year ago when looking for an organization to volunteer with. She wanted to join an organization that dealt with important issues and that hosted informative workshops. Before joining Jer’s Vision Melanie had been involved in pride and same sex marriage rallies in Ireland. Right now Melanie is helping to organize an environmental conference. She is finding local speakers to talk about issues including sustainability, local foods and recycling. David Suzuki will also be speaking at the conference.
One of the biggest reasons Melanie is part of Jer’s Vision is because when she was in high school nobody talked about issues surrounding homosexuality. Melanie explains how hard it was “When I realized I was gay, it was really confusing. Growing up in a homophobic high school I felt isolated, no one ever talked about what being gay was. This made me want to be able to give the resources and knowledge to kids in high school so they don’t have to experience what I did.” She wants to share this knowledge to all teens so they can understand that everyone is equal. She says she enjoys hearing kid’s questions, because it shows that they are interested. Her biggest advice about getting involved is to simply start a club in your school or with friends that address bullying, discrimination and anything that you’re passionate about.
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