“Interning with the Center has been one of the most rewarding and empowering experiences of my life. The Center has helped me find my voice as an advocate, as a friend, as a person who believes that everyone deserves to live a violence-free life. The Center has given me the tools to affect change, but the most important skill I’ve learned is the courage to speak out, with the facts, with compassion, with the knowledge that the movement to end violence against women is a movement that affects all of us. In no small way, my life has been changed by this internship. I am sure that I have made a difference, and I am even more certain that I will continue to do so.”
Jessamyn Edra ’09
“Through the Center, I have found a strong community of other young women who are dedicated activists and are strongly committed to ending violence against women at Stanford. We have already seen some results from our work, as campus awareness of these issues is at an all-time high and more women are accessing resources available to them. A large part of the Center’s guiding mission is to empower young women leaders so that as we finish college, and head out into the world, we will be allies for domestic violence survivors and the spearheads of change within our professional worlds. A large part of my decision to go to law school next year is because the Center has made me aware of the ways I can make a difference in my professional career. I am committed to using my legal education to fight for the rights of abused women and improve the legal system response to domestic violence.”
Grace LaVance ’08
“I feel as though this course has changed my life and the way that I view the world. I see now how pervasive violence against women (VAW) is and am happy to have been enlightened in this way. I also appreciate gaining so many skills and language for how to use this knowledge.”
“There’s so much I feel I’ve gained from this class, it would be impossible to describe the total impact the course has had on me. I feel more confident now in what I know about the issues and am trying to pass that knowledge and awareness on to others. Thank you!”
“I have never had a class that has driven me to action the way this one has. It has made me aware that I want to dedicate my career to working with relationship abuse and sexual assault survivors.”
“This course made it easier for me to speak up as a rape survivor. I feel more empowered to work with these issues.”
“I have the tools and terms and confidence to discuss VAW with my peers, especially men. It’s wonderful to be able to have intelligent conversations with men about VAW where I feel respected.”
“I think in particular the session on relationship abuse was one of the most educational training sessions I have ever been in. These sessions will make us all better informed panelists.”
Judicial Affairs Panel training participant
“I just wanted to thank you so much for coming to speak to our group. You hit on so many great points and it was so beneficial to the whole Stanford Law Domestic Violence Pro Bono project to have that background. It’s so easy to dwell on the minutiae of legal technicalities and to divorce what we see in our books from what happens in real life, and I know our group will be all the better for having heard your presentation.”
Stanford Law Domestic Violence Pro Bono Project representative
“On behalf of the physicians and staff at the Department of Psychiatry we would like to thank you for a very interesting talk on intimate Partner Violence. I have received many outstanding comments from our staff. We hope you will be able to visit us again soon.”
Department of Psychiatry, Kaiser, Santa Clara representative
“This was excellent. Nicole’s passion and caring for the topic are an enhancement to the presentation.”
Resident Dean training participant
“Thank you- this was a really helpful and informative training. As someone who thinks I already know a fair amount about these issues it was a helpful and enlightening training.”
Judicial Affairs Panel training participant
“My attitude completely changed. I feel like I understand that it’s never the victim’s fault.”
Judicial Affairs Panel training participant
“Excellent presentation, engaging, knowledgeable, makes examples relevant to students, to Stanford.”
Resident Dean training participant
“I just wanted to thank your organization for the bullet points of emotional abuse that were highlighted on Dr. Phil’s website yesterday. I caught by accident the last 10 minutes of the show and went to the website. I was in a 10 year marriage that was a nightmare and those bullet points described my ex-husband to a tee. I’m sorry I did not find out until yesterday because for years I thought I was wrong or crazy for thinking the way I did for what was happening. Thank your organization for this list!!!”