On February 1st, five brave students from Charlottesville High School’s Global Citizen class traveled to Richmond to participate in the Global Citizen Advocacy Day — a powerful day dedicated to raising voices for immigrant rights and community change.
They represented their school and community. The students are part of the Global Citizen class, a program designed to open minds and encourage students to take action on global and local issues. The students expressed how important the experience was and the importance of using their voices to advocate for their communities — especially the Latino community
The students spent the entire day at the Virginia State Capitol, meeting with VACOLAO (Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations) activists and speaking with delegates, senators, and staffers in support of bills that would benefit not only immigrants but all Virginians.
Some of the bills they advocated for included:
- Expanding healthcare access to all children, regardless of immigration status
- Allowing English learners to take SOL content tests in their home languages
- Curbing rent gouging to protect low-income families
Janic Charrupi-Gongora, one of the students, shared how powerful the experience was:
“We went to Richmond to represent our school and our community of Latinos. I realized that our voices have power — we just need to use them.”
Students were able to meet with representatives and learn about the power they hold as youth in making a difference. Another student, CJ Abdulazeez, shared that they reflected on how the class teaches students to understand global issues and connect them to their communities when they said, “We learn not only about the world but also how things happening around the globe affect our community here. Going to Richmond was a way for us to make an impact.”
Estha Nandama, another student, echoed the message of unity when she said, “CHS is a diverse school. We have students from Africa, Sudan, Latin America, and everywhere. Coming together and supporting each other is what makes our school special.”
The message they want everyone to remember is simple: “Share the love, be kind, and use your voice. No matter where you come from, be who you are, just Support each other.”
