By Arly Andrade
Hi everyone! My name is Arly Andrade (she/her). I am super excited to be joining the Women’s Center this year! This is my first year at UMKC, and I am a Pre-Dental Hygiene Major. I was born here in KC but was raised in a small town about 30 minutes east of UMKC called Grain Valley. I am excited to experience a new world outside of my small town. I look forward to making new friends, participating in student organizations, and of course working at the Women’s Center!
Women’s rights have always been a passion of mine. Growing up in a Mexican household, I experienced and was surrounded by the machista mindset. I was always told growing up that I couldn’t do certain things because I’m a girl, or that being a girl meant I had to do something. This mindset continued to surround me once I got into school, and I finally decided to speak up about it. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more and more passionate about feminism. Women’s rights need to be spoken about more, and I am proud to be one of the many voices. I know that working at the Women’s Center will help achieve this goal: letting people know about feminism whether it’s through a blog post, an Instagram post, or an event. I can’t wait to see and share what the Women’s Center offers!
In my free time, I love to hang out with my friends, watch movies, and listen to music. I’m pretty open when it comes to music, and my favorite artist at the moment is Paramore! My favorite song by them right now is “Decode.” I really love spending time with my family too. I have a 4-year-old nephew named Grayson who is honestly the light of my life. Thank you for letting me tell you all a little bit about myself, I can’t wait to see you all in the Women’s Center!