Why it is so important to get involved in politics at a young age!

From a young age I was always very anxious, I was never an outgoing child. I would look around the classroom and see what my peers thought the answer would be and I went along with that, the answers which were nearly always wrong. This was a valuable life lesson to me as it presented that I had to develop my own opinions and my own questions of the world if I ever wanted to develop into the person I was born to be.

I was fourteen when I started to go to schools with my local council to discuss politics when I didn't know as much about it as I would of liked to, all I knew was that I wanted world peace, which is very naive yet a comforting thought to have now I am looking back on my journey of personal development. The people in the classes were very young like I was but as my eyes spanned the classroom, very little were paying attention and the ones that were was because they knew it could be another thing to put on their lengthy resume. My best friend was in one of those classes, and she is one of the most educated individuals I know, and seeing that one person pay attention was refreshing for me.

Even at the young, ripe age of 14 I knew that I wanted change, I have suffered misogyny through school and the constant sexualisation was getting too much. That is when I started to stand up for what I believed it and I proudly called myself as a feminist and an activist, using my privilege to help others. It started in a maths classroom when my friend, who is a person of colour was facing severe racism, I stood up for her and the young racist bigots have not got one GCSE to their name.

When I was fifteen, I joined the labour party because if you want change you need to look in the right direction. We all grow and if I listened to those opinions of me being too "bossy" or too "political", I wouldn't be where I am today! I am now sixteen and I am now a co-founder of a successful political campaign to support young people with mental health issues and want to Break the stigma around them.

If you want change, there is no better time than the future. Start now! Use your privilege to aid others.