After 7 months of interning with the New Orleans Abortion Fund, countless sleepless nights, tears of joy and sadness, and many, many Canva graphics later, I am officially concluding my time here with NOAF. Although this is an incredibly bittersweet moment, I am thankful for the opportunities NOAF has presented me to not only expand my knowledge about reproductive rights, but to share this knowledge with a plethora of individuals across Louisiana and the United States. For every blog I have written for the internship, I am astounded by the sheer magnitude of the project, and how 2 graduating college students managed to build this digital organizing campaign from scratch while managing a rigorous coursework, an ongoing pandemic, the preoccupation of elections, and everything and anything in between. The NOAF Youth Action account, which began on a random Tuesday in mid-June, soon became the project I dedicated every waking hour towards. As I created graphic after graphic, and attended meeting after meeting, I forgot to stop and appreciate the campaign itself, and how those long hours of work were paying off. Particularly this past summer and semester, having to manage the stress of awaiting the decision of June Medical Services to anxiously biting my nails while waiting for the outcome of Amendment 1, it has been a time of highs and lows. Although Amendment 1 passed by an overwhelming majority, I am reminded every day that the work we did was beneficial: over 775,000 voted No on Amendment 1. Although the past month has been one filled with trials and tribulation, that number gives me the confidence to say that the work we, and countless other organizations, did is changing the landscape of reproductive rights in Louisiana. The movement mobilized 775,000 voters to fight against oppressive systems, and I am glad that the work we are doing at NOAF Youth Action does not stop today. I am excited to see where the page goes from here as it moves from being Cassidy’s and I’s project, to becoming someone else’s. Now that I am graduating from Tulane and my time with NOAF is rapidly ending, I can look back at my internship and feel immense pride, not only in the work I have achieved, but in the dedication, love, and compassion all my co-workers put into their work every single day, and I am immensely thankful to have been part of the team, even if it was just for a short time.
Sincerely,
Denisse Descamps Tofani