MY STORIES: 

• Including the Hispanic culture into a tight-knit Utah community
• Navigating bilingual education for Utah students
• Latinx business owners bringing value to Utah

MY BLOG:

It’s a blessing and a curse to have a voice. I’ve always been that person in the room who says what everyone’s thinking. My undying need to see justice prevail is like that itch on your nose that won’t go away. I see raw, honest communication as the only way to get to a place where justice lives freely, so I’ll use my voice, even if it means I’m that person in the room who says what everyone’s thinking.

It’s a blessing that I have been given space to voice the thoughts inside my head. Less than 100 years ago women weren’t even able to cast a ballot, a simple check mark on a piece of paper, let alone be given space to express actual words. It’s a blessing that strong women before me have fought so passionately so I can have a voice.

It’s a curse that I have so much space to fill with my voice. There are so many words that need to be said and so many blank pages yet to be filled. I hate being that person who says what everyone’s thinking. Carrying around all of those blank pages can be a heavy burden. I have whole notebooks sitting in my mind with title pages that read “Racism,” “Gender Inequality,” “Climate Change,” and more. Wouldn’t it would be a shame to sit silently and not fill them up?

This semester I filled up a few of those pages while writing about the Latinx community in Utah. My eyes were opened to the struggles and injustices that racism brings. I beamed with the pride of parent when I heard of bilingual students who put in double the effort to educate themselves in both their native language and English. I have an admiration for Hispanic business owners, who have not only immigrated to a new country but have created thriving businesses in our community.

“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention,” was Heather Heyer’s last words to social media before she was killed while participating in a peaceful protest. There’s so much to be outraged about and so much space given to us to do something about it. So, I’ll keep being that person in the room who says what everyone’s thinking, even if it means being that person in the room who says what everyone’s thinking.

ABOUT ME:

Kaeli Wiltbank is a multimedia content creator, specializing in the written word, photographs, and other various digital assets.

She recently graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in Strategic Communication. Complemented by an AAS in Social Media Marketing and 10 years of photography experience, she offers content creation services for businesses. 

Although she grew up on a ranch near Eagar, Arizona, Kaeli is a city girl at heart and has decided to call Salt Lake City home.

Kaeli has a passion for learning and lets her curiosity for life fuel her creativity. When she’s not writing or taking photos, she can be found watching a documentary or reading a good book. 

Filed under: Hispanics & Latinos(as), Student-Journalists |