An Interview With a My Life My Choice Youth Leader

In April, My Life My Choice co-hosted the 6th Annual Beyond Exploitation Youth Summit Virtual Conference with our partners from the Suffolk County Children’s Advocacy Center, Roxbury YouthWorks, Boston GLASS, Boston Police Department, Boston Center for Youth and Families, and the Family Justice Center. This year, the theme was “All Inclusive Community- We All Belong,” and focused on diversity, inclusivity, equity, and belonging.   

Each year this collaborative conference for at-risk and commercially sexually exploited children in our community aims to empower vulnerable youth through community building and education. Part of what makes this conference so unique is the youth involvement in planning and running it.  After our first ever fully remote Youth Summit, My Life My Choice staff interviewed Tori, one of the incredible peer leaders who helped shape the theme and structure of the event, co-designed the conference logo, and co-hosted the entire event via zoom.  Here is what Tori had to say: 

MLMC:  As a Peer Leader, what were your specific duties for the conference?  

Tori:  My duties for the conference were simple but assertive. I hosted and had lines to read, introducing people, introducing the activities, and ending the conference. Before the event, I helped with planning and designing the event logo.   

MLMC:  What skills do you feel like you developed during this project?   

Tori:  The skills I developed from doing this were learning how to plan an event and how to be a host on zoom. I also learned about teamwork, the event could not have been possible without everyone else.  

MLMC:  Did you feel like this leadership opportunity helped you grow in any way?   

Tori:  This leadership opportunity helped me grow by working with others while receiving new knowledge and having fun. We did such a great job.  

MLMC:  What was your favorite part of the project?  

Tori:  My favorite part was designing the sweatshirts! I’ve never done anything like that, it was cool and a great experience.  

MLMC:  Which workshop did you find benefited you and your peers the most?   

Tori:  The workshop that I think benefited me and my peers the most was definitely about gender identity and how gender also plays a part in racial issues, and even about pronouns. We’re in much more modern times now, and it’s good to spread knowledge like this so that everyone else can get with the times.  

MLMC:  Is there anything else you want to say about the conference or being a Peer Leader?  

Tori:  The last thing I will say is that I really enjoyed it. 💕💕💕 

We are grateful to Tori and all of our Youth Leaders who are using their voice and talents to help uplift others.