Please meet Lauren L., STF Leader at Van Nuys High School, and learn about her journey as the President of her chapter!
Name: Lauren L.
School: Van Nuys High School
Graduation Year: 2026
STF Title: President
STF Member Since: August 2023
How long have you been with STF and why did you join?
Lauren: I joined STF in Fall of 2023 because I wanted to learn more about human rights as well as help others become more educated. Before I joined, I didn’t know much except that human rights were constantly being violated. Now I am learning more about human rights every week through STF.
What has your experience been like since joining? What goals and leadership skills do you hope to achieve with STF?
Lauren: My experience has been great since I joined. It’s also allowed me to make new friends at school. I hope to improve my public speaking skills and to be able to get my ideas across clearly for everyone to understand. I also want to continue working on delegating tasks and facilitating meetings.
Can you explain what advocacy your Chapter is currently working on and what progress you have made this academic year?
Lauren: Our chapter is working on the Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights (SBRR) where we hope to create a SBRR that includes the issues important to students at our school. So far, we have created a “Take Your School’s Temperature” survey that went out to all students. This survey included questions and statements specific to our school such as, “Diverse perspectives (e.g. gender, race/ethnicity, ideological) are represented in courses, textbooks, assemblies, libraries and classroom instruction.”
What’s one thing you want future and current STF members to know?
Lauren: To not be afraid to try and talk to people, especially when you want to do an event at school. The process might be hard, but you’re guided through every step of the process and there’s power in even a few people, so don’t be discouraged by how many people participate.
Would you recommend STF to another high schooler?
Lauren: I would definitely recommend STF to another high schooler. You learn so many skills that you can apply beyond STF and you get the chance to talk about human rights to a whole community who cares about it just as much as you do.