# @princetonspia on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Xl-hZBf7K
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/20742484-princetonspia-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/ccba9ca912.jpg
- **Posted:** 2020-04-24T15:28:27.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Princeton SPIA (@princetonspia) — https://gondola.cc/princetonspia

## Caption

Warning: This post contains sensitive material. #WooWho: “I know what it’s like to have my freedom taken away, trampled upon. That feeling of just having a foot on you, feeling diminished. I have a physical reaction just thinking about it. When I was 11, I became a rape survivor. It’s something I think about and carry with me every day. It’s caused me to think of freedom as an important value to myself, and it’s shaped my education and career. … I’m a Jersey girl, born and raised. I was the first person in my family to graduate from high school. So it was a culture shock when I went to stanford as an undergrad. It was the first time I was around wealthy people and wealthy people of color. I think this sort of pushed me to study ethnic studies, and later education policy. Education was my gateway out, increasing my own social mobility. It’s also a way to increase the quality of life in every aspect of one’s life. After undergrad, I applied to greenlining, a leadership development program dedicated to racial justice. I actually found out about it through the PPIAprogram Junior Summer Institute (which had brought me to Princeton in 2011). At greenlining, I got to develop my own program, handling workforce and supplier diversity work for the organization. I loved it. I also knew I needed to expand my toolbox, which led me to wilson_school, where I’m studying economic development. Here, I get to be incredibly reflective. And I view policy as a mechanism of collective liberation. Not just for me, but for everybody’s shoulders that I stand on and represent. Empowering people feels like getting air for the first time after a while. I’ve also realized that telling our stories or giving a voice to something is truly powerful. I think that’s why I’m open about sharing my experiences. When I let go and see that secrecy and that shame, I feel myself becoming more powerful and owning my strength.” - Danielle Beavers MPA ’21. #WooWho is a series featuring our community. DM us if interested.

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- **Likes:** 147
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- **Comments:** 12

## Tags

woowho

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