From the president
Sophie Slaughter, a junior at West Virginia University, is a double major in History and Women and Gender Studies. Their impressive academic resume includes a Research Apprenticeship position with a law professor, an internship with the Innocence Project, and a course load that includes graduate-level work. However, it is Sophie’s engagement with activism that makes them truly remarkable. From serving on Student Government Association task forces, being an active member of many student organizations, and volunteering with several local nonprofits, Sophie is a committed student and community leader. It is their work as President of the Appalachian Advocacy Network though that is most notable. Through this organization, Sophie leads the efforts to keep their peers informed about state legislation and organizes canvassing, tabling, and lobbying efforts on issues important to West Virginia youth. They have created a welcoming and nurturing space for students to join them in these efforts, guiding other students to become activists themselves. As a proud southern West Virginia native, Sophie is fearless when it comes to fighting for progressive policies in their home state.
Personal Statement
As a born-and-raised queer West Virginian, I’m passionate about all things social justice in the Mountain State. In particular, I believe freeing people currently incarcerated, defunding the criminal legal system, and creating new ways to prevent and mediate harm is a feminist imperative. This conviction, which understands all people as deserving care and community, animates my community and classroom involvement. As the leader of a student organization that works to get young people involved in political organizing in West Virginia, I struggle alongside my community members against state and city policy initiatives that seek to expand the reach of the criminal punishment system. In local reproductive and housing justice-aligned spaces, I assist in the fight against the criminalization of my neighbors across issues. My academic work informs my advocacy practices, with my recent research investigating the intersection of histories abolition feminist organizing in Appalachia.