Part of being in college means that each person has a little bit of 'I want to help the world' in them. Being on a team, doing community service, or helping a peer with their homework are all ways to help your college community.

The best place to start making change is in your college years.

As a college senior and a social work major, I have thought about how to best make change a lot. Participating in protests, calling senators, and hosting informative sessions never seemed like enough for me. I always thought that I never got to the root of what making social change actually was, and then I had an idea.

I needed to do research on what I, as a 21-year-old college student, can do to create this change. I talked to a few resources on campus, and this is what I came up with.

1. Figure out what you are passionate about.

Obviously, not everyone is going to be passionate about the same things. Therefore you, as the bright young college student you are, need to figure out what you personally care about, and what you want to help out with. This can be environmental causes, or being an ally for those of different sexual orientations, racial, religious backgrounds, different populations such as the homeless. Figure out what you care about most and want to dedicate time to. We should really care about all causes, however, since we are only human, we should dedicate our time and focus to one true passion.

2. Listen.

This may seem like a fairly obvious one (or maybe not) - regardless, this is the most important step in making change. When you have pin-pointed the cause that you want to dedicate your passions to, learn the absolute most about it that you can. As a Latina woman, I believe in intersectional feminism and working towards racial equality. Now, that may seem like big words and a lot to do, but what I actually do is learn as much about these things as possible so then I can recognize my own power and privilege to work towards creating change.

3. Reach out to different departments to find out what you can do.

Most campuses have many different clubs and organizations that work with those of diverse backgrounds. You can reach out to these organizations and get involved with programs to inform the campus more about them. Or you can join your college’s volunteer center and volunteer with the population you want to learn more about. Build relationships with people that are different than you.

4. Inform others about what you have learned.

I dedicated myself to the idea of allyship. I read literature and research on how to be a good ally. I worked with other departments on campus and developed a workshop to send my message to different students on campus. It was originally designed for students that work in our volunteer center, however, different students and department heads reached out so then I can train students on allyship. It is one thing to learn all that you can about a social issue, it's another to actually spread your message and to get others involved. Taking action is one step closer to solving a problem.

There are many ways to create social change and we, as college students, should be encouraged to use our freedom and lack of responsibility to respond to the different needs that are around us everyday. Standing in solidarity with others is the best way to be an outstanding human in this world. We should always strive to solve the problems that are around us together with the people that are directly impacted. We will not take center stage on the issues, but use our power and privilege when needed. To know your place and know when to use your privilege is a lesson we all can learn. Keep asking questions and learning more and then use the skills you have learned out of college to create change. Now let’s get to work!