Student Action for Social Change

4 days ago
3 min read

By Sarah Perez Apr 1, 2026

For many high schoolers, changemaking may seem daunting even the most passionate of activists can struggle against the legal barriers of being a minor and a lack of platform. Yet, Senior Anna Kochanska and Freshman Elise Fondeur have found meaning in their small efforts, viewing student activism as an essential first step for a more just and equitable future.

For Kochanska, attending college would enable greater action. There, she can vote to add citizen-initiated legislation to a ballot—an action reserved for adults voting in the primary-while benefiting from a large and similarly motivated community. She hopes to join or found activism related clubs and attend protests. At the moment, Kochanska focuses on staying informed of current policies and measures that will be collecting signatures when she is of voting age. For direct impact, she donates to feminist-aligned organizations and supports cause she cannot participate in, such as initiatives to combat child marriage in Sudan, and anti-ICE demonstrations in Minnesota.

"I used to believe that regular adult actions like voting could solve major problems, but I realized the urgency of policy change advocacy after seeing how long it takes for the Supreme Court to respond to unconstitutional actions. It takes months, compared to how quickly executive orders can be passed," Kochanska said.

Being surrounded by politically active people in theater and at school made active participation natural to Kochanska. It sets the groundwork; whenever she sees a news headline or video about a significant issue, she struggles to forget and dismiss it because of the sensitivity her community helped her grow.

Kochanska explains that public attitudes are just as important as the numerous public policy issues, because of how detrimental inaction from a majority is. She notes the lack of concern for Al water usage, with current public attitudes letting the hopelessness and distress simmer down into indifference.

"Before we as a society are able to take action— especially in the US, where wars can be ignored by switching tabs—we must first regain a sense of gravity," Kochanska said.

Kochanska believes that if everyone tackles even one issue with dedication and focus, their combined efforts will make significant progress toward social change.

The tendency to frame serious topics as "comical" seen in jokes surrounding the Epstein and Combs lawsuits-distracts from their importance, fostering a judgemental and unserious environment. Kochanska encourages students to be vocal and bring up small issues in discussions; a safe environment provides the confidence for student activists to take bigger, bolder steps.

This sense of urgency is shared by Fondeur. She believes a policy evaluation of ICE is critical because of the unjust treatment at their hands; veterans, US citizens, and children have been harmed, even being wrongfully detained and deported. On national news, Fondeur noticed that ICE profiling detainees by physical characteristics is a deviation from the Trump administration's original claim of ICE prioritizing the deportation of criminals.

Fondeur is proud to have participated in the school's Jan. 30 walkou against ICE.

"Seeing the amount of people at the walkout restored my faith, as it is great to see that they are passionate about human rights and unafraid to express it. When people join a walkout for other reasons, such as to get food and skip class, they undermine the overall impact by painting the walkout in a negative light," Fondeur said.

Fondeur brought a sign reading "this country is made of immigrants" to the walkout. She had granted permission for the student-led school walkout Instagram to publicize a photo of her and the sign, knowing others who covered their faces to protect their identities. However, Fondeur's mother discovered that Fondeur's photo was taken from the Instagram page and posted on Nextdoor, where adults called Fondeur an "idiot" and someone who "did not know what she was protesting". According to Fondeur, such views reveal a lack of empathy. Although their opinions may not change, participation in events such as protests is able to put pressure on lawmakers and politicians for concrete change. Ultimately, she hopes the visibility brought by protests will motivate people to take a stand for the first time.

It is this persistent activism that can inspire a first stand for others and foster a future where people see the humanity in each other.