Barbara Gittings, a LGBTQ+ Activist once said: “Equality means more than passing laws. The struggle is really won in the hearts and minds of the community, where it really counts.” As a graduate student studying for my Master's Degree in Social Work, my mission has become to change the cultural narrative of community groups to help achieve true equality for all disenfranchised groups. I do this through my work at school, as a founding co-editor-in-chief of a student run publication dedicated to social change through policy advocacy and both a volunteer and intern at the National Association of Social Workers- New York State Chapter for their Policy Team. My work consists of shaping political agendas, advocating for social, racial, and economic justice, meeting with state legislators, creating out-of-the box solutions for community issues and facilitating international town halls, all while dealing with the worldwide pandemic of Covid-19. However, all of my work that I have been doing almost did not happen. In November of 2020, I was facing a multitude of challenges which included working full time, volunteering and interning part time as part of my degree requirement for school, and also attending school part time and others. Adding in the stress and the impact of Covid-19 on my mental health, I had to make a drastic choice: Leave my full time job or leave school and stop my education (Not knowing if I would ever be able to return). I made the bold decision to leave my full time job to pursue my education, dedicating some of the extra time I had into my internship and volunteer work. While leaving my former position was the best decision I have ever made, it left me without an income and solely surviving off of scholarships and student loans. I have accomplished so much more than I ever thought possible at the Chapter and the work with the Policy Team. From working on Social Justice Issues and meeting legislators, to helping change the profession of Social Work on an international level, none of these essential issues could have been done if I made the decision to stay working. I look forward to continuing my work in changing the cultural narrative for community groups, fighting for social justice issues, and advocating for the disenfranchised. The impact this scholarship would have would be amazing. It would allow me to significantly reduce my financial burden with loans, directly pay for part of my tuition for my degree, and work toward a future where we can all live without fear of rejection or discrimination.

Throughout my life, I've struggled with who I am. Living in a conservative, rural, town which only sees gender through a binary lens, I live a separate life from most of those around me. In fact, most days, I can't even go out dressed the way I want (If I can even find clothes that are relatively Non-Binary) for fear of discrimination and of violence. It is exhausting, but it helped me realize something: that if I at 33, am feeling this way, there must be many more who are as well. I decided to take two different approaches to trying to find a solution, advocacy and acknowledgement. My first step was to create a platform for LGBTQ+ youth to identify with, a brave space where people could feel validated and for resources. I did that by using my Tiktok account (@CarbieWantaciao) to explain terminology to the Tiktok community and what happened next was unbelievable. In the matter of a couple of weeks, my account had amassed a subscriber total of over 26,000 people, mostly LGBTQ+ young people. Their comments would be reaching out to me asking me questions about coming out, where to find resources, how to find help, and advice on situations. Sometimes I would make a video, other times I would just comment the advice and help those around me. I'll never forget the story of a 13 year old girl who identified as a lesbian, who told me that her parents had threatened to kick her out of the house and she had no where to go. I privately messaged her and asked her what state she lived in so I could find out the local LGBTQ+ community services and connect them to her, advised they could provide resources, and provided some emergency contact numbers to the organization. She thanked me, and then I never heard back from her. I hope that she found the resources she needed to survive. This led to me realizing that our policies and our politicians have failed the LGBTQ+ population in this country and that for the LGBTQ+ community to thrive our country needs to change the cultural narrative around LGBTQ+ individuals. I decided to start with my own state, and with the approval of my internship with the National Association of Social Workers- New York State Chapter, I did just that. I developed a briefing paper full of potential solutions to open dialogue between the Governor's office and the LGBTQ+ community, including: The Formation of a State Holiday called Stonewall Day, officially recognizing the Stonewall Riots for the Historical Event that is was, Funding of a LGBTQ+ History Museum and Memorial, Passage of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Sexual Education and History Classes, the expungement of criminal records of LGBTQ+ individuals tried and convicted of crimes now deemed unconstitutional and finally, a public apology for the role New York State played in the discrimination of LGBTQ+ individuals throughout its history. The paper was delivered to the Governor's office through legislators in February of 2021. Although I have done much, my work is far from over. My experiences as both being an ally and part of a disenfranchised community have led me to use my voice in ways I never thought I would before, including being a candidate for New York State Assembly as my authentic self. Inspiring the much needed awareness to change the cultural narrative through progressive advocacy with the message, "Together, Change is Possible".