Welcome to Semester 2 of Rachel’s Reflections!

For my This I Believe Speech, I have a couple of ideas that I think are interesting and align with my values.

1. Pro-choice: Being pro-choice is a big part of my identity and something that I am very open and passionate about. I think that I could create something very special with my belief that women should have reproductive rights regarding their bodies. This belief is something that I have always thought, but did not have much knowledge on until high school when I began learning about cases like Roe v Wade and the denial of healthcare that many women endure. With the overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022 and a growing controversy surrounding this topic, I have done extensive research on pro-choice arguments and believe I can contribute well to educate my peers.
2. Gifted children: As many know, the idea that kids are labelled as “gifted” or “non gifted” from a young age is common in American elementary schools. However, I believe this is harmful from both angles. Gifted kids often face burnout at a young age or have an identity crisis if they are not successful in every aspect of their lives, feeling like a failure. The “non gifted” kids are labeled as the “dumb” kids and often face low self esteem or are proven to have lesser goals because they people who should be believing in them automatically diminish their potential from the start. This is something that people don’t talk about enough but that I think is very important for children’s mental health as someone who works with kids.

Next, I have some ideas for my passion blog.

1. DCOMs: A ranking of my top favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. These movies molded my childhood and many others, and often contain important messages like how love and friendship defies social standards or how anything is possible if you work hard and believe in yourself. I think this could resonate with people in a fun way that I’m passionate about.
2. Movies that pass the Bechdel test: With the Barbie movie coming out this year, the Bechdel test, or the test to see how many times female characters in media have a conversation about something besides men, has become increasingly relevant. There are many movies and shows that do not pass the test, which shows young girls that the only important topics are men, or expresses the idea that women have no interests besides men. This just is not true and is harmful to believe in today’s progressive society. I would love to bring attention to movies that do pass this test.

Lastly, for my civic blog.

1. Reproductive rights: Again, reproductive rights are something that are definitely relevant in the civic right now because of recent court cases and protests for women. Within this blog I could either do defining court cases for women’s reproductive rights or influential women throughout the fight for proper access to these rights.
2. Mental Health: Mental health is something that has become increasingly relevant in the public sphere, as stigma has been reduced and more people feel comfortable speaking out about their struggles. As someone who struggles with mental health, it has been very reassuring to see some of my favorite celebrities and influencers speak out about their experiences. I would love to do a blog about some of these celebrities and how their stories are changing peoples’ perspectives of mental health in a positive way.