Moment: March 12th, 2020 at 9:22 AM -
"We are so excited to have you join our team!"
Exactly one year ago, on May 7th, 2020, I submitted my onboarding paperwork to start my internship with Unbound as the Training Team Coordinator, but I could never have imagined what this opportunity would turn into. Today was my last day as the Executive Administration Intern at Unbound Bryan-College Station. Many of you have maybe wondered why my social media pages have turned into PSAs about human trafficking over the course of the past year – and this internship is why.
Human trafficking happens here. With 40.3 million victims of human trafficking around the world, "here" can be absolutely anywhere. Human trafficking is a true public health problem, and a global one at that, so it is important to raise visibility through education and media.
It is such a wicked problem that many victims don't even know they are victims - many of them may believe that this is how a relationship is supposed to be. This reinforced the importance of educating the community not just to raise awareness for those who can stop it, but those who are being victimized as well.
Prevention is easier than cure is a belief that I adhere to not only in my commitment to human trafficking education, but also in my overall approach to healthcare. Preventative medicine through education is where I see my future as a doctor, and it has been an incredible opportunity to get experience in that arena by contributing in my small way to the prevention of human trafficking by raising awareness.
During my time at Unbound BCS, the organization underwent a lot of changes in structure, with hiring two new survivor advocates, moving from a small space in a church building into a beautiful office with space for operations staff and an advocacy center, and being appointed by a community council as the CSEY (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Youth) endorsed agency in the Brazos Valley to provide advocates for minor sex trafficking victims.
I've also seen a lot of growth in myself, both as a public health profession and as a person, and that is no doubt thanks to the staff at Unbound Bryan-College Station – Amanda, Katie, Deanna, Marcy, Amaris, and Britney (if that’s not girl power, I don’t know what is!).
I started out not even realizing that human trafficking was such a major issue in Texas, with over 313,000 victims of trafficking in the state, but this week, my site mentor told me in our wrap-up session that I can officially consider myself to be an expert in human trafficking.
I went from being vague and hesitant when talking about trafficking so as to not offend people, to boldly talking about the risks and red flags in the hopes that just one more person will be aware of human trafficking and be able to take action if needed.
My initial fears of feeling unqualified to train people to teach others about trafficking faded as I served alongside dedicated volunteers who are just as passionate, if not more passionate, about bringing human trafficking to an end.
Despite the logistical challenges of taking on an intern/fellow during this period of transition and growth, the Unbound BCS staff took me in and let me be a part of every aspect of the organization. I truly became a part of the team and even though I (very emotionally) turned in my key and badge today, I plan to continue volunteering with Unbound BCS as long as I am in College Station, because I have grown to become invested in both the fight against human trafficking and the people at Unbound BCS who lead it.
If you would like to learn more about human trafficking, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an message to talk more or request a training about human trafficking. We offer trainings for students, parents, educators, healthcare professionals, and anyone else who is willing to learn.
The best way to fight human trafficking is with a community of safe and educated individuals who will look for and report trafficking. You don’t have to be law enforcement, a victim service agency, or a prosecutor to keep the community safe from human trafficking; you just need to be willing to speak up when you see something.
So 290 hours, 21 trainings, and 624 trained community members later, I can definitively say that this year has been truly life-changing. Although there's always more to learn about human trafficking, I would be honored to share what I know with you so that, together, we can say "Not In My City."
If you’d like to report a tip call the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888 or TEXT HELP to BEFREE (233733).
If you or someone you know needs help getting out of a trafficked life, please call or text Unbound Bryan College Station’s 24/7 Client Referral Line at 979-985-2430 or fill out our online form to receive services: unboundbcs.org/referral-form
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