As an advisor I worked with science majors, a lot of whom were biology majors (like myself) who were also pre-med (not like myself). Most were top students in their high school. Many, especially the engineering students, were on that path because a teacher suggested due to their high ability with math, that science and engineering would be a good path to take. The path to becoming a doctor or really any medical professional is pretty straight forward. You take a bunch of science courses, do really well, and kick ass on the entrance exam, like the MCAT, and boom, you are in. That is if everything goes according to plan. For most of us, things don’t. And that’s where the zigzag comes in.

I have had countless conversations with students who think their whole plan is shot after getting a C in organic chemistry. I tell them that I also have had many students who did that and still earned their medical degree. It just takes some different kind of work. Maybe they need to take a class again. Or take the next class and rebound. Often I tell them to shrug it off and keep kicking ass at everything else. Address that one bad grade or one bad semester as a blip. Talk about the lessons learned in their personal statement. Be honest and vulnerable, but without bleeding all over. About half way through my career, I developed an allergy to minoritized students needing to tell a traumatic tale in order to get into a program or get a scholarship. Another path students have taken include getting a masters degree or doing a program that essentially is one year of grad school to prove that you can handle the next step. I even had a few students who did Peace Corps and then applied for medical school.

Once you veer off the path you set for yourself, there is often a way to get back on it. If you know how to read the map. Or are able to ask someone to read it for you. And of course, you listen. I often did not.

I am reminded of the long road we waged in Illinois to repeal the parental notification law. For decades, it was enjoined - meaning the courts said Illinois could not enforce it. The law was still on the books, but safely behind a firewall. Until it was not. Reproductive justice advocates had to build a system to support young people through the messiness of judicial bypass - this was the way for young people to appeal to a judge and prove they were mature enough to make the decision to terminate a pregnancy and not include their parent or guardian. Most teens who seek out abortion care do so with the support of their parents, so those who do not have very good reasons. Sometimes not so good reasons like abuse. Often this path was confusing and even abusive. Having a stranger deem you mature enough to end a pregnancy is harsh and unreasonable. Because otherwise you are too immature to make that decision, so go have a baby?

At the same time there was a team of folks working to repeal the law. I spent a lot of time using my status as a parent to advocate for this work. Talking about how I would hope my daughter would come to me, but ultimately valuing her bodily autonomy above my need to be involved in any decisions about when and how she would become a mother. As parents we want to protect our children and we sometimes jump in front of phantom bullets that end up doing more harm than good. In the end, I agreed with the notion that if I didn’t build enough trust with my daughter, that is on me, not the state to enforce communication. Arguments about her not being able to get her ears pierced or a tattoo fell flat with me. Neither of those choices would mean being responsible for another human being for the rest of her life.

The law was passed in 1995 and enjoined until 2013. Enforcement of the notification ended in 2022 and finally repealed in 2024.

Some of you will remember that the Dobbs decision happened in 2022. This increased the pace of people traveling to Illinois for abortion care, including minors. This non-enforcement and repeal was monumental to the young people of the entire country.

But this win did not happen overnight. It was frustrating to be in a state that talks up its blue status and seen as more lefty than we actually are. Honestly, it is frustrating to be a reproductive justice activist in lefty spaces that belittle the importance of the issues or bemoan that it is not a winnable issue. Solnit reminds us that of all the bloodless revolutions in the USA to have lasting impact, feminist ones have provided some of the largest wins. The pace of the repeal felt as slow as molasses. With too many allies caving at different times. But we kept at it. Chipping away at the barriers to access. And ensuring that as Illinois fortified abortion rights for adults, that teens were not forgotten. That said, we still have a long way to go. Affordability. Caring during the process. The fight is never over.

Radical families are also key to the future Solnit weaves. Families that bust up the nuclear family - which is still a relatively new human creation. Families that are teeming with cool aunties and queer uncles. Families that sustain community and embody the saying, “We keep each other safe.” The kind of families most of us are more familiar with during times of crisis. But what if we lived that interconnectedness all the time? How much more enjoyable would life be?

Solnit instills in us the power of stories. We need to tell stories of the past so we remember what we are fighting for. Not that we are seeking to go back, but we are fighting to restore and rebuild. We need to tell our stories so we know where we came from and how much change has happened. Because as she says in No Straight Road Takes You There , if we can’t see the change that is happening, we can’t strategize the future. Saying we are doomed or that all is lost is a self-fulfilling prophesy. People often talk about the long arc of justice bending, but rarely do people talk about the long term view it takes to bend that arc. There is a reason why we don’t see the curvature of our planet. And we can rarely see the curvature of the change we create. We need to take moments to look around and see the change, to be fueled by that change, and feel the urge for more.

How I am Persisting - TV/Movies

• The Last of Us: This fucking show! By now everyone has likely heard that they killed off Joel, played by the gorgeous Pedro Pascal. In the second episode of the current season. I took 2-3 weeks to return to the show because I was done. DONE. And yes, I was drawn back in by Sapphic Instagram teasing Ellie & Dina’s love story. I am a romantic at heart. The episode where Joel takes Ellie to a museum for her birthday KILLED ME. If you haven’t watched it yet, I won’t spoil it. But it is so good and left me in tears for both good and not good reasons.

• The Handmaid’s Tale: And this one! This is the last season and as someone who advocates for peace and bloodless revolutions, I want blood. I want Aunt Lydia to pay the price for her role in the enslavement of a nation of women. Alas, she is the main character in the sequel, The Testaments. When the book came out, I dismissed it because I didn’t want to hear any backstory or justification for how the Aunts behaved. But I have heard a few folks say I should read it. If you have, please let me know your thoughts!

• Hacks: AND THIS ONE! Clearly TV is not the source of comfort in this trying time. The basis of Hacks has always been the generational differences between Deborah and Ava. And each season we watch them bicker then find a way to love each other, then fight some more. This season’s fighting has crossed a line for me. This is supposed to be an antidote to the apocalypse of the other shows in my queue!

  Maybe it is time for me to start the latest season of Harley Quinn?

How I am Persisting - Women’s Sports

• Chicago Tempest: I finally got out to see Chicago’s newest women’s sports team, the Chicago Tempest of the Women’s Elite Rugby league, play at Northwestern. And despite us picking a day in MAY, I wore my big winter coat and was still frozen. The team also seemed to be frozen as we lost again. The team hasn’t won a game all season. I do hope the league makes it to season two. I think 80% of the crowd was made up of people who had or currently play rugby. It was pretty fun.

• Chicago Sky: The first home game is TODAY. Let’s hope we can beat the champs. We are celebrating 20 years of basketball this season. Hell yeah!

• PWHL: It’s finals time, so grab the popcorn cause the best hockey to watch is NOW. It’s Ottawa versus the defending champs from Minnesota. The first game went into overtime and the win was sweet. There is still zero indication that anyone involved in the Chicago hockey community is interested in bringing a franchise here, so I’ve been rooting for Minnesota and Toronto. But with Seattle entering the chat next season, that’s where my allegiance will move to.