I want to participate in this event because I feel deeply that mass shootings in America need to stop. Furthermore, I am channeling my emotions through art to manage my mental health in a positive way. I have been presenting my art through a YouTube channel and Website called Sissy Say's Revolution (see links below), where I encourage others to transform their lives for the better.

This poem is the second time I have created art aimed at putting a stop to mass shootings. After the San Bernardino mass shooting, I choreographed a dance to the song "What it's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield. I performed the dance at my company's talent show during our Christmas party. I held up a protest sign in the middle of the dance to end mass shootings and dedicated the dance to those hurt by the violence. I have family in the San Bernardino area and was saddened by what happened.

I am an activist and a rebel at heart. I have participated in and organized protests for important issues. I plan on being more involved in community development in the second half of my life in hopes of contributing to changing the current paradigm.

My writing has been recognized throughout my life by teachers in school publications and through positive feedback. After 9/11 (which occurred on my grandmother's birthday), I wrote a poem about the event and submitted it to my community college poetry contest. The poem won 1st prize, and I received a small scholarship.

The Route 91 Harvest took place on my mother's birthday. I recently came to Vegas at the end of September to stay in Vegas for an extended amount of time to work on my mental health. It’s during this stay I saw the Las Vegas Weekly article requesting submissions. I have visited the site of the shooting and talked to a local that was in Vegas during the event. This only reinvigorated my desire to participate in the memorial.

In addition to the poem, I recorded a video performance of the poem that can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=145T0MaapRk&t=38s

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKg3jlmaEwg28l8b80PdHNg
Sissy Say’s Revolution Website: https://sissysaysrevolutio.wixsite.com/sissysaysrevolution

Portfolio Link: https://sissysaysrevolutio.wixsite.com/sissysaysrevolution/blog/categories/sissy-s-poetry