Clara’s Journey From Student to Board Member

More Than Sex-Ed Board Member Clara Pierone sits down to share her story.

I was lucky enough to take part in the More Than Sex-Ed curricula in both middle school and high school through a program at my church called OWL (Our Whole Lives). These programs were incredibly impactful to me and much needed as any sex/relationship education that I’d received in school was strictly limited to familiarization with the mechanics of it all in a context that was completely hetero and cis- normative. I dreaded those lesson days at school, they made me feel uncomfortable, confused and too embarrassed to ask any of the questions that I was so curious to know the answers to. And though I really liked the teachers tasked with giving the lessons, I felt as though they were ill prepared for facilitating these difficult and important conversations in a comfortable way. My lessons with MTSE were a stark contrast. I looked forward to them and felt as though the material was presented in a way that was accessible for me and relevant to the experiences and feelings I was having. Here I felt comfortable enough to ask questions, and those that I didn’t feel like saying out loud could conveniently be placed in the anonymous question box!

The knowledge and experiences I gained in those classrooms is priceless and sticks with me today in every facet of my life. I recognize their importance now more than ever as a young-adult navigating my way through college, adulthood and all the complexities in relationships and everything else along the way. As the years have gone by, I’ve also become more cognizant of the fact that I was incredibly lucky to have had this education which the overwhelming majority of my peers didn’t have the opportunity to participate in. This is why I jumped on the opportunity to intern at MTSE last summer, I was excited by the chance to get to be a part of this work which is so important. 

This internship was eye-opening for me in understanding the amount of work that goes into running a nonprofit organization.The work is unrelenting and often goes without thanks, and a constant struggle for funding looms over it all. Seeing the dedication of the MTSE team in spite of all this was truly inspiring and a reminder that they’re in this work because they know it matters and they are deeply committed to it, even though it is incredibly difficult. 

I am currently a board member for MTSE. I believe now more than ever that this work is important, and I believe my evolving connections to the organization over the years acts as a testament to this. My hope is that one day this work is a priority, that it is funded by our government and that having a program like this one is mandatory for all public schools so that this education can finally be accessible to all. I know from firsthand experience how impactful it is. This hope is not our reality, not even close, for now we must rely on your generous donations to keep us afloat and to help us to continue to reach as many students with this work as possible.