Together As One Promotes Change in the Community
Del Norte High School has a new club that seeks to combat prejudice and teach others to accept people for who they are. Together As One was formed by juniors Sophie Bulkin, Lola Bulkin, and Ellie Zieler in early 2019.
The Bulkins and Zieler were inspired to create TGAO after they saw the hate there was in their community and around the world. Believing that the adults in their lives took ineffective approaches to combat hate, the three friends created a platform “by teens, for teens” to create an educational environment.
“We want others to have a sense of empathy and appreciation towards others,” the founders say, “We want them to be inspired by the videos we make, and for them to create change on their own.”
TGAO’s mission statement is to produce a ripple effect of kindness, allowing the community to unite and grow together. TGAO defines kindness as an understanding that, although someone may seem different, they are still equal and should be treated with love and respect.
With 2.7k followers on instagram, the organization uses its platform to reach teens and spread awareness of the hate that their peers experience daily. Kind messages and quotes are posted on TGAO’s instagram to remind others to see the world from a nuanced perspective.
TGAO members make their mission clear: to mitigate bias and come together as one. To accomplish this mission, TGAO members perform interviews, spread positivity and kindness, and seek to inspire others to learn and be open-minded.
In addition to using its social media platform, TGAO members work on community projects. These projects include handing out flowers and posters with phrases like “you are loved” to members of the community. Other projects include distributing hand-made masks to the San Diego Refugee Tutoring Organization. A major project the organization was involved in was creating t-shirts and sweatshirts to raise money to support victims of the shooting in the Chabad of Poway in 2019.
From left, Lola Bulkin, Ellie Zieler, and Sophie Bulkin founded Together As One.
TGAO has a variety of upcoming projects. For example, the organization has plans to expand its range of school clubs beyond their current ones in Del Norte High School, Poway High School, and Cathedral Catholic High School.
“We have multiple people from all over our country and the world starting TGAO clubs,” reports TGAO’s founders, “We’re so excited for this growth and it should start moving pretty fast once we can get back in school.”
As TGAO expands, the Bulkins and Ziegler are eager to connect with more people and help create change.
Readers can support TGAO by visiting their Instagram or viewing their website.