Avni Agarwal

From a young age, freshman Avni Agarwal has been passionate about helping her community, participating in her local Girl Scouts chapter. That passion overflowed into political protest when on May 18, Lynbrook students rallied together to protest the controversial Supreme Court draft that aimed to overturn the historic Roe v. Wade court case. Agarwal was one of five speakers at the protest. 

“I was one of the first people to reach out to Khushi and got a spot to speak at the rally and help out,” Agarwal said. “I was really glad I got the opportunity to do so because I find the topic really important.” 

Agarwal looks up to Vice President Kamala Harris as a prime example of how much women can accomplish, as well as singer-songwriters such as Jennifer Lopez and Ava Max, who advocate for women’s rights through their music.

“I’m a very big feminist and really passionate about women’s rights and that is how I see myself in the future,” Agarwal said. “Even if that’s not the main thing I’m doing, it will definitely be a passion of mine — helping out people and standing up for people’s rights.” 

The rally was Agarwal’s first real experience with political activism — but she does not plan on making it her last; for her Girl Scouts gold award, Agarwal is planning to address LGBTQ+ struggles and female rights within the community.

“You can’t judge people for who they are, or what they think,” Agarwal said. “We can’t get mad at them for being who they are and you can’t just force things upon people.”