How my time at UIUC has prepared me for a future career in social activism

Emily Morrissette is currently a senior studying psychology and gender & women's studies. Over the summer, she studied gender and culture while studying abroad in Sydney, Australia. In her free time, she loves to paint and spend time with her friends. 

At the University of Illinois, I’ve had so many amazing opportunities to get involved with social activism on campus and gain experience tied to my majors in psychology and gender & women’s studies. For the past two years, I’ve worked closely with the campus Women’s Resources Center as a stalking prevention intern, student volunteer, and FYCARE facilitator.

For my internship with the Women’s Resources Center, I was responsible for planning and organizing the very first Stalking Prevention Summit on campus to spread awareness about potentially dangerous situations and cyberstalking. After months of hard work, community outreach, and student collaboration, this educational summit is going to be held on April 2nd at the Siebel Center for Design! I’m very proud of this project and hope that this Summit continues to educate students long after I graduate this spring.

Alongside the Stalking Prevention Summit, I also work as a FYCARE (First Year Campus Acquaintance Rape Education) facilitator for incoming and transfer students. The FYCARE program discusses important information about consent, victim blaming, drugs & alcohol, bystander intervention, and other forms of sexual violence prevention. This program is very important to me, and I am incredibly grateful that the Women’s Resources Center has helped me get involved with all of these amazing opportunities.

In addition to my work with the Women’s Resources Center, I’m also the secretary of the Women in Psychology registered student organization (RSO), which provides helpful resources for career development and academic support to young women pursuing a career in psychology or related fields. The mission of our RSO is to create a strong sense of community for women, which I am very passionate about.

After college, I plan to pursue a meaningful career in sexual violence prevention through confidential advising, educational workshops, and community advocacy work on college campuses. My double majors in psychology and gender & women’s studies—as well as my experiences with FYCARE, the Stalking Prevention Summit, and the Women’s Resources Center—will help prepare me for a future career in social activism! And for any students looking to get involved with other social activism projects on campus, I would suggest visiting the diverse cultural houses and resource centers to learn more about their work in the community.