A big group of students from my college attends Spring Lobby Weekend. Each time I come I fall more and more in line with what they believe.
I’m lucky that my family’s immigration story is so far in the past. But I feel drawn to amplify the voices that represent the issue.
It’s really exciting to be here. When you’re at home, or on the internet, you’re just one voice. But here, wow, I finally feel like I’m not crazy for wanting to make change. It’s uplifting—and exhausting— because there is so much real human impact. But it gives me the mindset to make change instead of just get down about things.
I believe we can make change. This issue has been in the news for months. And it’s hard to contextualize what your voice will be in all of that. But the 400 of us are getting ready for that and clearly we’re going to have an impact. It’s important for us all to find the right story to tell.
Emma Marks lives in York, Pennsylvania and attends Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio, pursuing majors in political science and agricultural communications. After college, Emma wants to attend graduate school to study public policy or begin working immediately in advocacy. Emma attended Spring Lobby Weekend for the second time in 2018.