For this edition of the Question of the Month, we will be asking our Armijo Signal editors the question:  Who is an Activist Who Inspires You? Why?

Isabella Roxas, Co-Editor in Chief:

“Malala Yousafzai is an absolute inspiration because her courage to fight for education makes me want to speak for what I believe in.”

Royce Guo, Co-Editor in Chief:

“I have always looked up to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for her voice in social issues and the conversations that should be occurring in our everyday lives. Her TED talks,”The Danger of a Single Story” and “We should all be feminists” share a her powerful and personal perspective. Adichie once said, ‘Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.’”

Abby Vigil, Senior News Editor

“An activist that has always inspired me is Alice Paul. Her fight for women’s equality will stay with women even though she’s deceased. One of my favorite quotes from her was, “It is incredible to me that any women should consider the fight for full equality won. It has just begun.” I think it represents how we can’t settle for improvement, and that we need to keep improving to truly make an impact.”

Peter Popescu, Fundraising

“The first one that popped into my mind was Gandhi fighting the Caste system in India.”

Kayla Reynolds, Sports Editor

“An activist that inspires me is Franklin Graham. He serves as a Christian missionary and evangelist, and founder of the Samaritan’s Purse organization. This organization sends help to people in physical need and spreads the hope of the Gospel. Samaritan’s Purse has a program called Operation Christmas Child in which gifts and sent out to children in need around Christmastime. Having participated in this program, it is heartwarming to influence the lives of people in need. With thanks to people like Franklin Graham, we are able to participate in and donate to these programs.”

Ario Rostami,Entertainment Editor

“The activist who inspires me is Dr. John Snow (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Snow) not the Game of Thrones character). He was an 19th century English physician who worked to find the cause of cholera by investigating the source of a disease outbreak in London in 1854. The consensus of the day was that people got cholera by breathing foul smells in the air rather than the real cause of drinking water contaminated with human waste. Dr. Snow’s work would start a process of great change in this field and would greatly improve public health systems around the world, saving countless lives in the process.”

Adriana Bernal, Classes & Clubs Editor

“Malala Yousafzai is an activist who inspires me. Even as a teenager, she made a huge impact on the whole world with her powerful story and strong support of education for girls and all young people. To me, she is living proof that no matter who you are or where you are from, you can make your voice heard and change the world.”

Tom Zheng, School News editor

“A political activist that inspires me is Malcolm X because of his desire to do what was right no matter the consequences. He spoke with integrity and always showed unquestionable moral strength in his actions. His willingness to use “any means necessary” during his career shows the kind of perseverance that I hope to apply to myself.”

Rachel Liu, People Editor

“I am inspired by Mark Ruffalo, a well-known actor who also juggles his task of keeping the planet alive and well. Ruffalo is hard-working as he doesn’t take his popularity for granted, but instead uses it to gather environmental supporters. He’s a man of many talents and truly cares about our planet’s and environment’s well-being.”

Jasmine Reyes, Photography Editor

“My favorite activist would have to be Rowan Blanchard. Her sheer wisdom and courage to use her place as a popular actress, best known on Girl Meets World, is impressive and admirable. Through her social media, it is very apparent that she dedicates a monumental amount of hard work and time towards advocating feminism, the power that rests in women all over the world, and much more. Her avid fight for equality and the recognition of feminine power is renowned as she continues to inspire millions of her fans on social media and magazine coverage. What I find most admirable of Blanchard is her ability to break through the common barrier that youth deals with every day: the belittlement of their abilities due to their young age. It’s just one thing to preach about feminism and LGBTQ+ rights but it’s another to put aside fear of stereotypes and continue to share your voice and opinion regardless of who you are and where you came from. I believe that that is truly where the beauty of activism flourishes as it bleeds through diversity.”

Ashley De Groot, Beyond the Gates Editor – see Focus Article

Arianna Mestas, Events Editor

An activist that inspires me is Lilly Singh, a.k.a Superwoman. She is a 28 year old YouTuber with over 12 million subscribers. In 2016, Lilly started a #GirlLove campaign in which girls from around the world compliment each other. Many girls joined in tweeting the hashtag and spreading love. Lilly promotes leaving behind negativity and ending “girl-on-girl hate.” She supports girls’ education worldwide and donates money to the Malala Fund. Lilly encourages me to spread positivity with my friends, school, and community.