During my sophomore year of my undergraduate studies, a course titled advanced writing
was offered. Although the title itself sounds like it would be just that, writing at the advanced level, the class was more useful to me than any other part of my undergraduate degree because it engrained in me what my future should be. The class focused on intersectional approaches to feminism, and how to approach research and writing in feminist studies. Our professor encouraged us to bring our own research to the class, and allowed for us to each lead class discussions over what research we were doing in our fields. The class led me down a rabbit hole of better learning of my own interests in the world of gender studies and writing, which I tied in with my interest in music. This has also encouraged me to become a mentor and educator, as the class gave me numerous opportunities to teach others of my interests.
I have found various places to be a mentor and leader that has impacted my life in amazing ways. The biggest impact on my life has been through my work with Girls Rock! Des Moines, a nonprofit organization that has given me numerous opportunities to share my findings on the concepts of women and nonbinary persons in music through teaching classes and working with kids in the program on a more personal level. This work with Girls Rock! Des Moines has encouraged me to look deeper into the rhetoric and research behind women in music.