On February 22^nd, 2013, I finished up my last midterm exam and hopped on a plane from Austin, Texas to Washington, D.C., to attend the 2013 ONE Power Summit. At the University of Texas, I am a campus leader for the ONE Campaign, which is a grassroots bipartisan international organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable diseases in developing countries. During the semester, student chapters have the chance to rally their student body and advocate for these social issues. Many types of the service projects we hold are petitioning to our Congressional leaders to support our cause, empower constituents about helping abroad, and mobilizing others to realize the importance of U.S. foreign aid. The ONE Power Summit is the opportunity for student advocates to come together and share, educate, and mobilize themselves to continue the work we do. The Power Summit brought over 150 students from all over the world to meet, educate and mobilize ourselves for this cause. We spent two meetings with influential leaders who advocate for the poverty, HIV/AIDS, and global health. The Summit also provided me the opportunity to lobby on Capitol Hill with my two U.S. Senators from Texas and actually give a voice to those that are unrepresented abroad. It was such an eye-opening experience to be in D.C. and be a platform for change—I had the opportunity to fight for something that I was passionate about. 

I believe that students should be able to enter college and find their own niche—take hold of their passion. Whether it be service work, media-oriented, or sports, getting involved on a college campus is key to achieving success both academically and while maintaining a strong social circle.