Senior Julia de la Fuente went to Washington D.C. to march in solidarity with Planned Parenthood and immigrants last month.

On Saturday, Jan. 21 Many SDA students participated in the Women’s March on a local level in San Diego County, but de la Fuente along with family and friends flew across country to have her voice heard.

She went to the rally before the march started to hear speakers such as California Senator Kamala Harris, feminist leader Gloria Steinem, and all of the women who organized the event. The actual march started 45 minutes later, but, according to de la Fuente, it was amazing.

For her attire, she had banners written by immigrants pinned on the back of her shirt provided by Shoutout 17 a project one of her mom’s friends started. She also wore a “pussyhat.”

Another highlight of de la Fuente’s trip was when she was pushed against a car:

“When I was leaving [the rally section] I got smooshed against a car because so many people were trying to get forward and that was scary.”

Out of everything she heard at the march her favorite speech was actress America Ferrera’s, which eloquently touched base on almost every issue the march presented, including women’s reproductive rights and the value of immigrants.

Everyone at the march was very happy to be there and everyone was very loving according to de la Fuente. The energy was the most memorable part of the march for de la Fuente:

“There was a really good energy and everyone was feeling really good.”

De la Fuente said she talked to a lot of people including a gay couple on a date after the march.

“We were talking about the march and what we feel Trump’s administration will be doing.”

The morning before the march she went to breakfast with the representative of the 13th district of California, Barbara Lee.

“It was really cool! She’s gonna be good when Trump is in office because she was one of the only people who didn’t vote for the Iraq War so she is on the right side of it. And she has a plan to stand up to him,” de la Fuente said.

In the future she plans to continue to do work on political campaigns she believes in. She volunteered in Democrat Doug Applegate’s unsuccessful challenge to unseat Republican Congressman Darrell Issa, who represents Encinitas, last fall.