You’ve flipped your tassel and thrown your cap! You’ve moved out of your dorm and never again have to answer to Residence Life! You have a big fancy degree that says you’re an educated adult! Now what?
Just because you’ve graduated doesn’t mean you have to leave feminism behind. Here are some ways that you can stay involved post-college:
Fill out our end of semester survey! It may seem small, but one of the most important things you can do is make sure that your campus group stays in contact with FMF. Not only does it help us know who to contact about campus events for the next year, but it makes it easier to identify if a group is in trouble and how we can keep it going. Plus, there are prizes!
Get a feminist job! Despite what your parents may have said, their are careers in feminism. Check out our Feminist Career Center to see what opportunities are in your area.
Start volunteering! Our Feminist Career Center also features internships and volunteer opportunities. So if you have a job all lined up, you can see what outside opportunities are available.
Join our alumni network! Just because you may not be on campus anymore doesn’t mean we don’t love you anymore! Stay in touch with your campus organizer and FMLA as part of the Feminist Campus Alumni Network.
Join your college’s alumni chapter! This may not seem all that feminist at first, but one day you’ll be the big important alum who gets to call the shots. And getting in with your local alumni chapter and staying active is a great way to keep a pulse on what’s happening on your college and university. It’s also a great way to keep your name fresh in the minds of the alumni board, professors, administration, and trustees so you can start pulling strings earlier. Plus, you’ll also get to expand your social circles and find unexpected allies.
Help your local abortion fund! Most abortion funds are run solely by volunteers and are desperate for more help. You can find your local abortion fund at the National Network of Abortion Funds and see how to get involved.
Become a clinic escort! If you did Adopt-A-Clinic as part of your FMLA, this is an easy way to stay involved not only with the local clinic but with your former campus group as well. And if you didn’t get a chance to participate in Adopt-A-Clinic, it’s not too late! There are besieged clinics across the country who are trying to protect their patients from anti-choice harassment. Sometimes to escort you should contact the clinic directly, other times you can start through a local volunteer organization. If you’re unsure where to start, you can contact your National Campus Organizers for next steps.
Join a political campaign! Mid-term elections are coming up, and if we’re going to stop the War on Women, we have to make sure feminists get out and vote. We have to vote as if our lives depend it!
Start a blog! You may not be writing papers anymore, but we know you still have plenty to say. And with a blog you can actually talk about what you want instead of what you have to for a specific course. Here’s a wikiHow with tons of tips and information to keep in mind. The internet is your opinionated oyster!
Start a zine! The interwebs might not be your thing, but you have a pack of brand new Sharpies and a inclination to doodle feminist power fists in the margins. Put those artistic skills you gained not taking notes in class to use! The Riot Grrrl Online Blog has a great guide on how to start a zine (and if you aren’t quite sure what a zine is, here’s a guide from Underground Press [PDF]).
As you can see there are plenty of ways to stay active in feminism after graduation. These are just some ideas that we came up with, and we didn’t even go into eco-feminism, LGBTQ, civil rights, and international activism!
What things have fellow alumni done to stay active in the feminist community? Post them in the comments!
Graduates throwing graduation hats in the air from Shutterstock
Stop Clinic Terrorism from Feminist Majority Foundation
Zine <3 from flickr