While attending a progressive school in Chicago, Taylor Thompson ’20 learned that the education she was getting was not accessible to all. She also came to realize the value of being taught leadership skills, which are not part of every school’s curriculum. As a result, Thompson was inspired to establish the nonprofit Taylor Wilson Thompson Family Fund to raise grant money for leadership classes in her community’s schools and beyond. She believes that students deserve more than they often get and that equal education is the key to future success for all. As an economics major at Barnard, she is learning about the policies and practices that will help her deconstruct inequities in the education system. 

To view more Student Speak stories, please visit the series archive