I am so thankful to have participated in the first year of Fall Advocacy Day. As a high school student, I was one of the youngest attendees from the HFNC region’s Fall Advocacy Day, but I still felt included by the team.

Some of the advocates met for dinner the night before to prepare for Fall Advocacy Day. Hearing everyone’s stories inspired me to be more thoughtful and articulate about my experiences as a sibling of someone with a bleeding disorder. All of the other advocates helped give great insight into how to share with legislators and explain the disorder to someone who likely has limited understanding.

Being a Future Leader in 2022 helped prepare me for Fall Advocacy Day. Attending Leg Day online that year, I missed out on getting to meet with my legislators in person to make a bigger impact. Future Leaders helped me learn how to tell my story to others and explain to GHPP and CCS programs more clearly. Since most legislators and their staff are not too aware of the program, learning how to explain these complicated topics in just a few sentences is vital to making a larger impact.

During my meetings, we got to go directly to representatives’ offices and speak directly with their staff for a longer period of time (15-30 minutes) without the rush of Leg Day. The meetings in my local area felt more personal, and I could better relate to the people I spoke to. Not having to go up to Sacramento also allowed me not to miss any school days while still advocating for the issues that impact my family.

Getting to participate has been a great opportunity, and I hope that it continues in the future.