From the president
Kaylee Ann Ries, a graduating Senior at Bowling Green State University, is a student committed to taking action to address critical community issues. Building on her own lived experiences she is has been committed to working with local agencies that respond to domestic and sexual violence and helps as a core volunteer for the Crisis Text Line. She has taken action and worked with her peers to keep the Crisis Line active. She has worked to connect and engage others in both addressing immediate needs and deepening their understanding of the impact of domestic and sexual violence on individuals, families, and communities. Her activism has also focused on the impact of poverty on children and families and the multiple ways this impacts our communities. An active researcher, she is committed to identifying ways to address domestic violence and explore strategies to focus on improving mental health equity and access, as well as combating stigma surrounding mental health. She is committed to making change and “to be the person I needed when I was younger” for other people.
Personal Statement
I am motivated by empathy and equity. I have led a life of struggles through poverty, substance abuse, and am a childhood trauma survivor. These parts of my identity are what make me strong and motivated towards enacting change in the world around me. These are what have led me to strive to become a leader within my community as an employee at my local domestic and sexual violence shelter as well as a volunteer for the Crisis Text Line. Together alongside others, I hope to continue to make steps to create a world in which people are able to overcome disadvantages to achieve and thrive. I hope to become the first in my family to receive an education to continue to advocate for survivors like me. In order to create the best world around me, I cannot work alone. This program would allow me to network with others who share my passion for people. Change takes power found within people, together, creating ideas that are not restricted to a single viewpoint. I am proud to provide an underrepresented viewpoint as well as take in the perspectives of others if given the opportunity to represent myself as a Newman Fellow.