Arusha Ramaswamy is an eleventh-grader at Fayetteville-Manlius High School who is well aware of the many mass shootings that have recently happened in the country, and said she is scared.

“I would like to say I'm just really angry that we are still, we still have to live in a place where we have to fear going out in public," Ramaswamy said. "The truth is, I'm kind of scared. I'm a woman of color, so I think that I am one of the demographics who could be potentially targeted.”

To advocate for change, Ramaswamy marches, posts on social media and helps develop projects for Project Unloaded, an organization whose mission is to create a “cultural narrative that guns make us less safe.”

“I'm definitely really excited that we might be able to help people, like, figure out how to converse, how to get this conversation started,” Ramaswamy said.

Ramaswamy believes it is possible to take steps toward a solution of safety, and that it begins with conversations.

“This fear is not normal. It should not be normal that we should have to fear going to a club, or going to a salon or going anywhere, or going outside our homes. I think if we can help people understand that guns will not save us from this, are only making it worse. So, yes, I think I am scared, and I think people have it a lot worse than me,” said Ramaswamy.