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Meet Jacqueline, our ACTivist of the month!

A Human Rights and Social Justice graduate, Jaqueline after graduation found herself drawn to roles that would help develop her experience and passion for activism. She now works as a Sophia Council Member, providing valuable input for improving our Chatbot Sophia. Through her role she strives to ensure social justice is easily accessible for all.

What inspired you to become an ACTivist? 

I wanted to become an ACTivist because I completely align with the mission of Spring ACT. I admire supporting people suffering from domestic violence with the technology of today. Being able to utilise the direction society has taken is powerful, and as someone that has experienced emotional abuse and sexual violence, I am passionate about supporting people who have had similar experiences.

What fascinates you about activism and social justice campaigns?

Being a part of creating a better world that achieves equity for all oppressed groups is what draws me to activism.

Frankly, I want to make a change, but I do not feel compelled to be part of any government. Instead, connecting directly with people is what I desire, and as someone that belongs to multiple disenfranchised groups, I would love to support people like me who have been made to believe they are underneath others – which of course is not true!

How has been your journey with SpringACT? What surprised you most about your role? 

I have had quite an interesting journey with SpringACT! As soon as I started in the role, I got stuck in straight away and was very welcomed. Whenever I had any difficulties I got the team’s full support. 

As far as my role is concerned, it is extremely diverse but I think I was most surprised by the comparative data I did with Sophia and other forms of AI. I learned a lot in this role, especially, the importance of being attentive and keeping an eye out for different details!

SpringACT is always striving for a better future for all – what does the future look like for you?  

To me, the future is a lot about engaging in activism!

I want to continue gaining experience and be a part of social justice in some way or the other. On my Instagram,  I discuss and highlight social issues and I hope to continue doing this in the future too. Personally, I would also like to continue my activism with SpringACT,  and be more active and better able to balance all of my commitments. 

What advice would you give to others looking to pursue a career in your industry? 

The advice I would give to someone trying to pursue a career in activism is that volunteering and seeking out different opportunities is key! Even if you think it’s not initially totally connected to the kind of activism you’d want to do, there’s different ways the world can be improved, and gaining some experience in a space that works towards that goal is always incredibly valuable. Also, topics that you may not expect to relate to each other very often do, like racism and the environment. No opportunity is unhelpful!

What is the most memorable place that you travelled to? 

Looking back, a memorable place I’ve been to would definitely have to be Jersey. I went to Jersey (the Channel Island) with my girlfriend for six days – it was amazing! I got to experience so many new things, I tried jet skiing and ate some delicious food. I made some really lovely memories that I love to look back on. 

Written by Natalie Brabben for Spring ACT