In the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSDHS), student activism has soared to new heights in hopes of bringing gun reform to schools and creating a safer environment. Nationwide walkouts on March 16 and April 20 proved that America’s students will not stand idly by while their lawmakers shut them out of the gun reform conversation. The nation’s youth, led by Parkland survivors David Hogg, Jaclyn Corin and Emma Gonzalez, among others, have organized various protests across the nation demanding new gun control laws. During another demonstration on Wed April 18, nine young women conducted a sit-in outside of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s office in the Capitol. Among them was junior Jordan Joseph.

“I learned about the sit-in through the students demand action DMV [D.C., Maryland, Virginia] group chat. My friend Naomi Caplan sent information about it and invited anyone to join her… Naomi organized the entire sit-in,” Joseph said.

“The plan for the protest was to sit down quietly in front of Ryan’s office with our demands. We honestly had not planned what exactly we would do while sitting, but one of the things we talked about was doing a few chants,” Joseph said.

The protesters’ long list of demands included bans on assault rifles, bump stocks and high capacity magazines. They also appealed for an end to reciprocity between states for concealed carry weapons, universal background checks, increased mental health support and suicide prevention measures and funds for the Center of Disease Control and Prevention to research gun violence.

In all, nine high school students attended the sit-in, however, once threats of arrest were made by the police, some of the protesters who were aged 18 and older opted to leave, as they would have been charged as adults. After refusing to leave following three swift warnings, the four remaining students were taken into custody and charged with blocking of passage.

“The Capitol police took us outside of the building to search us and remove anything they deemed dangerous like belts, jewelry or hair ties. Then they put us in the back of the police van and drove us down to the youth division of the Metropolitan Police Department. They asked us questions about where we live, our parents’ names and phone numbers, medical history etc. After that was done they put us in a holding cell to wait for our parents to pick us up,” Joseph said.

Several media outlets and photographers were present during the sit-in, resulting in images of the protestors and their arrest going viral on Twitter. Parkland survivors and #NeverAgain activists such as the aforementioned David Hogg and Jaclyn Corrin tweeted about the event and sent messages of support to Joseph.

“I would say that the incredible strength of all the students at Parkland, Newtown and more has definitely played a part in inspiring me to be active in the gun control movement,” Joseph said.

Despite some school districts threatening disciplinary consequences for skipping school, student activists all across the nation have stayed strong and stood up for what they believe in. While the changes they seek have yet to come into fruition, Joseph believes that change is not far away.

“Making a real change can take a long time, and it is important to be patient. By participating in marches, walkouts, and sit-ins we are keeping the movement relevant and reminding other generations that we will never ever give up on this. I believe that continuing to protest shows that we are consistent and that is important. Politicians will see that we refuse to give in, and I have a feeling that they are starting to listen to our demands. I would tell other student activists to never be discouraged,” Joseph said.

Joseph’s strength and willingness to protest for the change she wants to see in the world shows that each and every American is able to stand up for what he or she believes. Regardless of whether or not one agrees with her on the issue of gun control, it is clear that the future of this nation will be bright as young minds continue to fight for a better America.