Stories.

We are hard-wired for stories. As children, we ask our parents to tell us stories at bedtime, our teachers use them to help us learn, and we make up tales with as we play with our friends. As we grow up, stories help us make sense of the world and understand things we don’t necessarily relate to. Stories humanize us. They turn statistics into souls and give names to the numbers.

There is no connective force between humans that wields power quite like a story does. If we want to make a difference in the world, we must start with stories. A story told in authenticity drives empathy as the audience comes across relatable elements and realizes they may not be so different from the storyteller after all. Stories also shed light on our loneliness—so often, the response to a person’s story is: “Wow. I thought I was the only one.” Not only do they create empathy, but they also aid in our awareness, bringing attention to issues we may not have known anything about. These are my aims in storytelling. My hope is to one day do exactly this for nonprofits—illuminating the truth of their cause and creating empathy as the audience learns. Through writing, photography, and other media, I can showcase people and their causes in a human way, breaking down walls and building up bridges.