In January of my junior year of high school, I was invited by a close friend to travel with her and her mom to participate in the Women's March in Washington, DC. The issues that fueled the march were extremely important to me and so I jumped at the chance to go.

I remember driving up the night before and hearing on the radio the estimated number of participants for the march and not being able to comprehend that I would be surrounded by so many like-minded people. While reassuring, the prospect of being surrounded by so many emotionally-charged people, especially following the presidential inauguration that sparked a very wide spectrum of people to be in the city, was overwhelming.

The morning of the march I remember walking outside to get coffee and seeing women, men, and children wearing the now infamous pink hats all around.

When it came time to walk over to where the march began to hear the array of speakers for the day, it was hard to walk far at all without running into a crowd of people going to the same place. However, instead of being chaotic and overwhelming, I felt a sense of pride in the fact I was participating in something that mattered to me and impacts so many people, but also a sense of security in that everyone around me was overly kind and dedicated.

The chants and cheering that were broadcast on national news surrounded me all day and not once did I feel unsafe or unsure of my surroundings. I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself and knew that while my presence didn't necessarily make a huge difference in the state of things, it made a huge impact on my life.

Putting myself into a situation where there is a lot of controversies was scary at first. I was afraid of being judged, out of place, of being somewhere that would turn violent and so on. However, I could not be more grateful for the invitation to attend the march because it was truly a life-changing experience.

My senior year, so this past year, was when schools around the country held walkouts in the name for gun reform, safer schools, or whatever motivated students to walk out in the name of ending gun violence at schools. In all honesty, a few years ago I never would have participated, not because of a lack of interest, but because of the concerns I previously held before the women's march.

Again, I am so glad I went to the walkout and was able to hear my peers speak about their concerns about gun violence and be able to look around me and know that I was in the company of other passionate students.

No matter your cause or conviction, I encourage everyone to no longer be complacent with the world around you and let your voice be heard for issues you feel passionate about.