Brenna Kristiansen is a sophomore at Salem State University studying business and public policy and administration. Brenna’s advocacy work began as a freshman in high school. She worked with the school’s administration on reimplementing a peer mediation/restorative justice program for students to resolve conflict. Through her involvement at the school and on the varsity softball team she gained more opportunities to volunteer, engage with her community and meet residents of all ages and backgrounds. As a senior, Brenna worked at a local after school program, where her and other high school employees worked with city officials to raise wages for municipal employees. These experiences led her to her dream internship at the Mayor’s Office in Medford as full time freshmen at Salem State. During this time Brenna was engaged in advocacy work at SSU by serving as the Board Chair of a committee that led a successful advocacy campaign on campus. This campaign brought awareness to the Hunger Free Campus Bill and engaged students in advocating for the legislation. This past spring Brenna’s advocacy has focused on youth development through coaching various sports teams and volunteering at an adaptive basketball program at the Medford Recreation Center.