Madeline Cook

Madeline Cook graduated from Macalester College and is the Outreach Coordinator at Evolve.

Why is education important to you?

From a very young age my mom would always say that a good education was the most important gift that she could give me. While this seemed irrelevant to me as a child, I know now that my mom was right. Our defining years are spent in a classroom, and the inequalities that exist in that space reflect the socio-economic, racial, gender, and other inequalities of the world outside that room. In turn, this deepens their grip on society and societal structures, as those with less privilege get left behind in overcrowded, underfunded classrooms. All children deserve a rich and empowering education that transcends these boundaries.

How has California's lack of education funding negatively impacted you?

Having graduated 8th grade amid drastic budget cuts to my local high school and talks of closing it down, I was able to attend a private high school. This was a privilege that I do not take lightly. Attending this type of school had monumental impacts on me, and I developed a love of learning and passion for understanding the world. I had room to find my voice in small classrooms and personal time with my teachers. This should be the norm and it should not deplete a family’s resources to achieve it.