Sonjirose Chin graduated from Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) in spring 2021 and is taking a gap year to travel and write before pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Ever since she was a child, Chin has been drawn to Psychology because she wanted to understand how humans behaved, thought, and felt about themselves and others. She also wants to study how technology affects those behaviors, thoughts, and feelings as a media psychologist — more specifically, “how media psychologically influences Black women’s sexuality and garner more positive sexual education through the media.”

At BMCC, Chin was active in the Women’s Resource Center‘s mentorship programs Sister2Sister and GirlTalk. She is also a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She credits the Justice Roundtable for allowing her to get more involved in social issues. According to their website, the Justice Roundtable is a nonprofit coalition of 100 organizations dedicated to reforming federal criminal justice laws and policies through legislative and advocacy efforts.

“I’m active in the issue of racism by recognizing the privileges I have with my education and family background,” Chin said. “Working with this organization has changed my perspective on the narratives of people who are incarcerated.”

Growing up in a majority white small town and being in almost exclusively white AP/honors classes, Chin had to find her way in speaking on the outsider point of view in History and English classes.

“Black narratives are not acknowledged in those circles, and despite the blatant microagressions of racism in the classroom and subject matter, I had to be vocal about my position for not only myself but the outsider perspective,” Chin said. “It was important for me to play ‘devil’s advocate’ because outside of those school walls, these were real questions and real situations people who look like me deal with regularly.”

When Chin isn’t busy changing the world, she enjoys photography and film, people-watching, floating in the water, studying astrology, introspection, and writing prose. The top item on her bucket list is to skydive. Generally, she would like to have more moments in which she feels balanced and connected with being alive.

Her wish for the world is for basic needs for all creatures to be met and for everyone to have enlightenment in whatever capacity that means for them.

“Writing Wrongs is a tangible outlet of my goal of changing the course of race in this country. My writing at Writing Wrongs will be my protest, written revolution for the disadvantaged voices that could never speak. … Helping to share the life of one person can inspire other Black writers to candidly express themselves, knowing people will listen.”