Event #1: Matthew Shepard Talk

For one of my events this semester, I went to the talk with Matthew Shepard's mom that was presented earlier in the semester. This talk was put on by Pride Alliance and the Unity Center here on campus. Through this event, I was introduced to Matthew Shepard, a young man who lost his life in 1998 because of his sexual orientation. Judy Shepard is the mother of Matthew Shepard, who was one of the founding members of the Matthew Shepard foundation.
During this event, it reminded me of our work on Identity and how it can affect a young person. Matthew was killed because someone didn’t agree with the way that he identified. His mother came and spoke to a group of students in Roberts Hall about the hate in the world and how we were the ones who needed to change it.

She left us with a quote that I found very powerful it says, “It’s up to you, You are not only the present but the future of this country, whether you do it through politics or activism, religion or education, the corporate world or the legal world. And you’re getting that opportunity here, because of the things being instituted here that show you what life should be like, which is a life of acceptance of everyone.”​ This quote resonated with me because she spoke about how we were the future and we have to be able to help shape the future no matter what field we are in or what field we are pursuing.

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