Laurel Wong

We often hear the advice that we should leave the world a little better than we found it, but this was not something I fully understood until I found myself in the midst of a career that revealed the harsh realities of gender inequity for young women and girls around the globe.

After graduating with a Bachelor's in Political Science, I was ready to finish checking all of the boxes: interning at the United Nations' HLPF (check); volunteer with refugees in Atlanta (check); work with INGOs to promote education for girls (check); and, get a job in the immigration field before heading off to law school (check). There was a hiccup, though. Unbeknownst to me, my experiences had started to craft a new understanding of what is actually required for real change to occur.

As an intern, I saw the lack of representation, transparency and progress of civil society at high level organizations like the United Nations and the European Union.
As a volunteer, I saw grassroots organizations struggle to maintain funding and community engagement, even as they improved the academic opportunities of young girls.
As a paralegal, I saw who was given opportunities for STEM positions, and who was not.
As the leader of mental wellness workshops in my community, I saw women of color with the tenacity and potential for moving their communities towards prosperity, but who were limited by lack of financial and social resources

As a creative and an advocate, I now understand how improving the relationship between civil society, government, and the people, is vital to improving the lives of those most marginalized in our societies. I intend to pursue a graduate degree, where I will learn to leverage social media and technological tools to aid civil society in cultivating community with everyday people, connecting grassroots organizers with businesses to build relationships that provide funding, visibility, and engagement for their missions, and showing the world that we can develop a modern framework for sustainable development that does not leave anyone of any gender behind.

When I am not dreaming of this, you can find me oil painting, reading or scanning Google flights for travel deals.