Hi readers, I am Michelle Yap, and I'm excited to write here at The GroupChat for Change! I discovered my interest in social justice during the pandemic through the increased awareness of racism and prejudice in our country after the killing of George Floyd and countless other innocent lives. I also recognized the racism that was directed towards people of Asian descent in America due to the origins of the coronavirus being China, something that my Asian family struggled with directly. Upon further research, I discovered that countless groups of people worldwide were discriminated against or did not have the same treatment as their counterparts. Witnessing these injustices during what I believe is one of the most pivotal times of my maturing led me to understand the importance of speaking up about events that are not talked about enough. 

Writing has always been a wonderful form of expressing my ideas and passions, providing a way to share these ideas with others as passionate as me. Throughout history, literature has allowed marginalized voices to speak up, inspiring me to study those works and learn to educate others on what truly matters. My goals here at the GroupChat for Change are to bring awareness to events happening worldwide that are insufficiently covered in the media and provide a voice for those affected. I hope to convey the facts to others about the injustices happening around us in a way that people can engage and empathize with, how they can support those causes, and inspire youth around us to make a change. Our generation will be the next leaders of the world, and I believe that to effectively make a true difference, we need to be educated and aware of what is going on around us.