Ever since 2017, I’ve traveled to DC for holidays, family reunions, concerts, and even graduations. My brother, my oldest sister, and her partner all attended Howard University so if I get the opportunity to come to DC, I will see them.  Once I graduated high school, it became easy to drive up to the DMV. My sister had a nice apartment on the wharf and she always had passes to cool festivals and concerts. In 2025, I became an Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison (OYCL) with the Forum for Youth Investment. That was the first time I traveled to DC to visit Capitol Hill and have a much deeper experience.      

The OYCL fellowship provided virtual sessions that were so different from what I expected– in the best way. During that summer I, with other OYCLs in the cohort, began connecting issues we cared about to REAL data and our lived experiences. For example, in 2024, 13% of 16–24-year-olds in Georgia were Opportunity Youth disconnected from education, employment, and service opportunities. I realized that I was an Opportunity Youth. I was always happy to work hard. I was always open to new opportunities. I was always striving for what I felt was right. But what the Forum helped me understand was that it was common to still be trying to figure things out. So many of us struggle to find the confidence, passion, and initiative to take those opportunities because of experiences in the justice system, foster care, hospitalization, and so much more. Our experiences are not just mistakes young people make, they’re the products of systemic gaps in essential services, resources, and national networks that create the same old cycles of poverty, shame, and defeat. My story was more than just a pity party; it was a reason to keep sharing and to continue striving.  

This brings me to the amazing opportunity and conference I attended this September. Through my continued connection with the OYCL fellowship and the Forum, I was afforded the opportunity to attend and present at the Young Invincibles National Summit. This summit brought together young people from around the country to amplify four simple rights we ALL should have. The Right to Learn. The Right to Earn. The Right to Heal. The Right to Lead. During the summit, we connected with other young advocates who were making positive changes in their cities, states, and even on college campuses. The breakout sessions were also great. In one breakout session, the panelist discussed the importance of young people caring about retirement accounts/social security and how despite 77% of young adults supporting labor unions many are too afraid of being ostracized that they forget that taking care of one another is how we take care of ourselves in the future. Another session discussed the changes to our healthcare system that will take place in 2027 because of H.R. 1 (“The Big Beautiful Bill”) and how to prevent losing access to health services. I learned that, in states like Georgia, the new law will require people to provide a physical address and re-certify eligibility every six months. Work requirements are also going to change, and there is a new requirement to be enrolled in school half time, work 80 hours/month, or earn at least $580/month all of which is almost impossible for anyone disabled, unhoused, or currently suffering through the current unemployment and affordability crisis today. The highlight for me was getting the chance to lead my own session with a fellow OYCL, Marvin Terry, about the importance of youth voice and sharing my journey on a panel is something that so many people only ever dream of experiencing. It’s one thing to go through hard things but being able to say you’ve overcome them and that you’re doing your best to make sure others like you have it easier is monumental.  

A key aspect of the National Summit was the Capitol Hill Day. This is when the Young Invincible team bussed all the attendees to Congress and provided us with a chance to meet with our members of congress to talk to them about our priorities. This was exciting for me because I was able to use the skills I learned through the OYCL program and bring them to this summit. During my OYCL cohort, I met with a staffer from Representative Nikema Williams’ (D-GA-5) office to talk about the Reconnecting Youth Campaign and issues that young people face in Georgia. Now, being in DC to do advocacy for the second time, I used the training I received from the OYCL fellowship to schedule another meeting with Rep. Williams. I felt extremely confident. I set the agenda, conducted follow-up communication with legislative aides and talked directly with Rep. Williams’ team…again! I did it! 

Overall, I learned through this conference experience that we don’t have time to be defeatist. We don’t have to think this world is a huge catastrophe because chances are, we are going to be alive to see the impact of our positive actions or the brunt of our inaction. I needed this summit to recharge my advocacy efforts, and I resonate deeply with my right to learn, earn, heal, and lead. I recognize how dire the situation in our nation truly is and why our perspectives matter as young Americans. Moreover, while traveling to Capitol Hill to raise these issues with my congresswoman, I was also able to voice my concerns about the state of our democracy and advocate for my community at home. It’s so important that my generationkeeps abreast, stays informed, and speaks out because we are the ones who are going to have to bear the effects of the current administration. Our voices and opinions should be at the forefront if we want to see a new generation of young people dealing with different problems than us in 10-20 years. If you’ve read this far, you can check your voter registration, research your elected officials’ actions, and follow the Forum for Youth Investment to connect more with this work, by, for and about young people in your community! 

Ciara Franklin (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist working in film, marketing, and digital media. Franklin is a self-identified, queer storyteller from an Afro-Future, Intersex advocate, and womanist whose documentary work uses technology and performance to reclaim marred narratives and explore the wonders of the mundane. A graduate of Spelman College’s first Documentary Filmmaking class, Franklin studied film production under Ayoka Chenzira, Julie Dash, and Anjanette Levert. An Adobe Certified Video Editor, they currently work as Communications Manager at ReImagine ATL and a Social Media Intern for Wars Have Limits. They have crafted documentaries around the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival as an Intern with the American Pavilion as well as billboards for The Center, and social media content for United Talent Agency, Midtown Atl, and more.