THE DRESSEMBER BLOG

If you combine a love for writing, Lord of the Rings, and adventure you get our Dressember intern Lauren Farris. Lauren grew up north of Seattle, Washington and has resided in the surrounding area her entire life. She attributes her love for the arts, social justice, and nature to her hometown and is deeply grateful for parents who have encouraged her to pursue, explore, and take risks.

What happens when you combine wanderlust, a love of Mexican food, and creative talent all in one person? You get Holly Dunn of course. She’s a post-production specialist by day, and Dressember editorial intern by night. When she’s not hiking the local Santa Monica trails or painting with watercolours, she’s using her stellar writing skills to share stories and raise awareness about the weighty subject of human trafficking. After seeing her friend participate in a Dressember campaign two years ago, she looked into what Dressember stood for and quickly knew that she had to become a part of this amazing movement and organization.

Sarah Beech is a born and raised Texan. She loves to be outdoors and discover new places around her. Over a typical week you might see Sarah going on hike, listening to Austin Stone, or trying a new coffee shop. Sarah currently attends The University of Texas and is majoring in government and psychology. All of these things above make up a part of Sarah, but perhaps it could be argued that two of her biggest and most unique passions are her love for researching and teaching.

Morgan Wiersma is new to this whole Dressember thing. Back in November, she was on Chicago’s Blue Line heading back from the airport when she clicked on a Facebook link that eventually took her to Blythe Hill’s TED Talk. She had seen a few friends here and there participate over the years, but this was her first time looking into what Dressember actually was. The video surprised Morgan, who was shocked to find how little she knew about the issue. She cried right there on the train and became passionate about the cause very quickly. She says that it’s typical of her to become very involved in something that so strongly touches her heart.

In an increasingly digital world, it is easy to forget about the artists behind the screen that craft the words that we read. Hiding behind two different blogs, sharing information, pictures, and her life story is the bubbly and energetic Jessica Debanné.

Amanda Kinney grew up in the small town of Shoreview, Minnesota. Her active participation in her community, as well as her devotion to a wide array of interests, have shaped her influential, compassionate character. From her skilled spaghetti squash cooking to her traveling band performances, Amanda is a woman of many passions and talents. She loves to travel and has visited Haiti, Ireland, Portugal, Sierra Leone, France, and Spain. One of her truest passions, however, was not discovered until she moved to California two and a half years ago. 

A DIY queen, hopeless romantic, and strong wife and mom of four children named Tyler, Titus, Tayli, and Treven (that’s right, they all start with “T!”), Gaochen Xiong is a force to be reckoned with. As one of our passionate Editorial Interns, Gaochen hails from Minnesota and has lived in this beautiful state her entire life. From spending childhood days in Brooklyn Park to currently living in a peaceful Dayton neighborhood, Gaochen now writes passionately to fight for justice across the globe.

Rachel Rohm is a girl with a big heart from the tiniest United State, Delaware, and one of our editorial interns this spring! She wears a ring from her university honors program, Torrey Honors Institute, that reads “bonum verum pulchrum,” which is Latin for “goodness, truth, beauty,” and through getting to know her, you will find those words describe her well. 

Those who join the fight to end modern slavery often do so when the layers of duplicity that have shielded their vision disappear to reveal the world for what it really is -- a place where the basic right to human dignity is continually repressed for nearly 40 million enslaved people. Such a revelation accompanies the clash of two worlds that cannot coexist; a free one and a hopelessly enslaved one. Jillian Saldana witnessed the grim realities of the enslaved, grossly unequal world we live in at a very young age. 

Behind the Dressember Blog is a team of caring and passionate individuals with their own unique set of skills. Add a little sass and tenacity, you have the one and only Sonsee! As one of Dressember’s editorial interns, Sonsee writes from a small city called Strawtown located in central Indiana, or what some might consider a small dot on the map. Big city or small, her writing is inspiring and educating people all over the world about human trafficking. I’m delighted to be putting the spotlight on her and sharing the inside scoop on our interview. 

If you’ve ever worked in customer service then you no doubt know that it can be quite stressful at times, especially when you have 65 emails flooding your inbox mentioning the same issue over and over again. It takes someone with a kind heart and gracious attitude to be able to sort out the problems, respond to the requests, and to leave people feeling heard and understood. If you’ve ever contacted Dressember about a question or concern, chances are you've been in contact with  April Schiller.

When you think of a campaign like Dressember that is focused on the imagery of a dress, certain qualities, such as fragility, may come to mind. Dressember editorial intern Courtney, however, is one fierce and strong lady, personifying our mission of reclaiming the dress while fighting for justice with confidence, strength, and just the perfect dose of gentleness. 

This February, Dressember welcomed 15 new spring interns to the editorial team. One of these fabulous interns is Stephanie Elwell, a creative and passionate advocate hailing from Naples, Florida.

Stephanie’s drive for social justice is profoundly evident across multiple facets of her life. She makes the time to write for the Dressember blog and be a fierce advocate even in the whirlwind of wedding planning and her job at a domestic violence shelter, where she works as a child and teen advocate.

Katherina Toews is an avid blogger, serious book hoarder, cookie baker, and strong woman of justice. The 21-year-old Canadian kindly took time to chat with us about her life, and her work with Dressember. Katherina is from the bitterly cold city of Calgary, Alberta. Having just spent a month traveling Germany, she describes her home as her favorite place to be. Spending time away from Calgary gave Katherina a renewed sense of gratefulness for this city she lives and works in.

With millions of people striving to come together to end modern day slavery, there is one individual that has been an unintentional inspiration. Two thousand miles away from the Dressember office there resides a passionate ball of fire by the name of Alissa Pollard. Alissa also goes by Ali and lives in Madison, Wisconsin. She may be a student (and occasionally eats more than the required amount of cookie dough), but she has a desire to change lives one uncomfortable outfit at a time.

Meet Dressember Editorial Intern, Mallory Mishler. Just a few years ago, Mallory never would have guessed that life would take her here. Having grown up in the Midwest she loved the simple things in life:  forests, books, adventures and family. And while that hasn’t changed, advocating for peace, justice, and equality take up most of her time these days.  She couldn’t be happier to be able to live out her passions on a daily basis.

Here at Dressember, we love to highlight our interns! Our intern network spans across the United States and their collaborative hard work behind the scenes makes the dream work. Today we're introducing Kaitlyn Wanta, one of our intern hybrids. In the midst of getting engaged and graduating from college, Kaitlyn has managed to be both a Community Engagement Intern and a member of our Editorial Team. We are thankful for you, Kaitlyn!