Tazrae Song’Ony
Bethel University
Taz Song'Ony, a third-year student at Bethel University, is a committed student leader for issues of social justice on the campus and in the surrounding community. For the past two years, she has held a variety of leadership roles in the Bethel Student Life organization United Cultures at Bethel. In these leadership roles, Taz has worked to make Bethel an inclusive institution for students of color. At the same time, Taz has worked in the Frogtown and Summit-University neighborhoods of St. Paul through the Bethel Frogtown/Summit-University Community Partnership. Through this partnership, Taz has worked on projects to address food justice, strengthen community connections, and to heal the wounds of racial injustice. Taz has shown herself to be a person of deep love, commitment, and faith. Taz is choosing to live in such a way that she works towards a world that is not yet realized.
Personal Statement
I first become passionate about community work when I found my grounding in my community as a teen. The community I grew up in Kansas City allowed me to see the raw beauty of black and brown people and how sacred sharing our stories can be. As I developed a better understanding of my identities, I realized how conceptualizing what my place is in the community is critical for my own journey and should continually be at the center of my craft. I plan to use my art and my passion for theatre as a way to create social change as well as healing for my community.
