SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATE
A few years ago, I unfortunately lost a dear friend of mine due to a drug overdose. One of the last things my friend said before she died was, "I feel as if the devil has a hold of me, and I fear I will never break free." One week later she was gone. Everything I knew about drugs and addiction up to this point, just did not make sense, why did my friend describe it in this way? This is what prompted me to begin researching, I needed answers. I started noticing how many people were losing their loved ones due to drug overdoses. Why were so many people dying? Throughout my time at Weber State University, I have been studying this topic and closely related topics. From my research, it has become clear that we are trying to solve the issue of addiction and drug use in the wrong way. Addiction is a disease, and it can be treated. The United States is now in the middle of a drug epidemic like it has never seen. Overdose deaths are now the leading cause of accidental death. In 2015, over 50,000 people died due to drug overdoses.
I not only have researched this topic to gain a better understanding of the problem, in hopes to find solutions, but I also assist Utah residents who face addiction. Weber State University and S.J.S, the non-profit I volunteer with have shown me how and where I can make the biggest impact on lives, and have given me a foundation on which to strengthen the skills needed to pursue my dreams. My mission in life is to become the voice for the suffering and the ones, who like my friend, no longer have a voice at all. Through all of my research it has become clear that addiction is the root cause of many other social issues, and America's solution to these problems have proven to be unsuccessful. The criminal justice system has gone through many reforms, but if there is to be real changes, policy makers need to be asking different questions. It is easier to believe that these problems can be fixed from within our justice system, but as history has shown it doesn’t solve the problems. Instead of only reforming the criminal justice system, social interventions need to be implemented like more treatment centers, better education, more social equality, improving socioeconomic factors, improving social programs, etc. My ultimate goal is to take my civic knowledge and hopefully one day change our failing drug policies.
SHANNON J SCHOLARSHIP
"Helping others fight back! Because addiction can kill"
CIVIC KNOWLEDGE
I have completed two different internships. I interned for Weber State University's Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service. "The purpose of the Walker Institute is to encourage Weber State University students and community members to become leaders and active citizens. A vibrant democracy requires citizens educated about the ideas, principles, theory, and practice of constitutional government. The goal of the Walker Institute is to inspire individuals to take on leadership roles and to become active citizens in their communities." During my internship I developed a newsletter and helped in the development of marketing materials. I gained knowledge about different ways I can be an active citizen and how I can also encourage others to become active citizens as well. We all have a voice and a responsibility to utilize it, not just for ourselves but for our communities. I was able to pass this knowledge on to other citizens and students, while also practicing it myself.
I also completed an internship with United States Senator Mike Lee. During the internship I was able to gain real experience in the legislative part of our government. I was able to help citizens with their issues, or at the very least be a compassionate ear on the other end of the line. The senator was working on a piece of criminal justice reform legislation at the time, so I also got to see the different processes a bill has to go through to get passed. I also got to share my knowledge of criminal justice, addiction, and share my personal experience working in the community with the senator's chief of staff. Both of these internships added to my civic knowledge. I got to experience how government works, I was able to share my knowledge with others, and the skills and experience I gained will be crucial as I move forward in my pursuit to do policy work.
INTERNSHIPS
"Education shows you your passions & internships let you live them"
RESEARCH
I have conducted several research projects during my time as an undergraduate student at Weber State University. I have developed and completed two projects on my own and two projects with the Center for Community Engaged Learning's Research Team. I have also presented these projects at different research conferences. Before I started getting involved in research I did not really understand just how important research is to everything. Research solves problems, finds answers, and can help in the development of solutions. I realized that I can take my knowledge and experience in research, utilizing the skills I have gained as I move forward towards a career in policy work.
I recently presented one of my research projects at a Global Crisis Global Change conference. The United States has the highest incarceration rates in the world. Drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death in America, and have quickly become an epidemic seen and felt across the world. Problems with addiction and mass incarceration is a topic of discussion within the United Nations for the same reasons this research project focuses on, but also the way some countries deal with the problem of drug use, is a major human rights violation. This research analyzes the history of incarceration in the United States in order to critique a piece of proposed legislation seeking to reform the criminal justice system to address the issue of mass incarceration. It looks back at the various approaches to dealing with people who commit crimes, legislation and policy changes, history of drug use in America, and the science behind addiction. Criminal justice reforms, although a great start to opening up the conversation, are failing to address the root causes of the problems leading to mass incarceration and drug use. Research shows causes of mass incarceration are due to poor education, socioeconomic issues, failure to properly rehabilitate people, long term impacts of mass incarceration on communities and families, etc. Although sociologists and other researchers have made major contributions to drug research and research into these causes, they have had little to do with the development of drug and criminal policies. For years, we have been making policy changes without foreseeing the outcomes of those changes, and now we have reached a point where we can see these consequences on a large scale. We cannot continue to make the same mistakes. Research should be the foundation of policy development. This research not only gives solutions for the problems of mass incarceration and addiction, but is also an example of how vital it is to implement effective and well researched policies. Research based policies should be applied on a global scale. Depriving people of their personal liberty and time can be one of the harshest punishments humanity can impose. Incarceration can do great harms on society; it not only affects the prisoners themselves, but their families, communities, and society as a whole. In America, the focus has been about what to do with criminals, but research shows that does little to solve the problems. We need to redirect our focus to socioeconomic factors, prevention, treatment, positive social programs, and education.