I've had a lot on my mind this election.
We all experience things that shape our views and sway our vote. Growing up in the South and living in the North has been an experience that has shaped my views.
Growing up in a bi-racial household with a stepfather struggling with alcohol and a mother trying her best to parent while bravely fighting mental illness has shaped my views.
Being sexually molested and then having a grown man call me a whore when I was only four years old has shaped my views.
Having people to run to, to turn to, to talk to, to hug has shaped my views.
Coming out as a lesbian when I was 13 years old in a small town in central Texas has shaped my views.
Traveling to different countries, learning a second language, and studying cultural anthropology has shaped my views.
Living in a big city such as Chicago with a family of immigrants from Guatemala has shaped my views.
Watching them work harder than most people, hearing them complain less, cleaning houses along side them for a few years has shaped my views.
Traveling without U.S. documentation and only my student ID card on Greyhound instead of flying with them has shaped my views.
Sitting in the financial aid office crying as an honor student while my parent was declaring bankruptcy has shaped my views.
Becoming a school psychologist and working in an urban school district in a highly segregated and poverty-stricken city has shaped my views.
Sitting down with students of all ages, races, religions and backgrounds being reminded that we are all one and that we all desire belonging, understanding, and love … has helped shape my views.
We all have different views, but this election I stand with Hillary.
I stand with her in that I believe it should take longer to buy a weapon than it does to adopt a puppy or kitten from the humane society.
I am a vegetarian bordering on vegan who will not force my views upon anyone but also deserve to be heard. My brother-in-law is a hunter; my brother and stepfather own a ton of guns. I stand with not taking away your right to bare arms, but in limiting the types of weaponsassault rifles are not a friend of the true sport of hunting.
I stand with healthcare for everyone, because every child deserves access to affordable medical care and adults cannot give their best to one another without this access.
I stand with open borders, open minds and open hearts for different cultures, religions and ethnicities.
I stand for unity against terrorism, because we all truly know that one apple does not spoil the whole bunch. If that were true … there would be no more apples. If one thinks about it … apples only become rotten when they are bruised over and over again and then left without attention, undesired.
I stand for pathways to citizenships, for every soul who comes to the U.S. to promote and live in a better country.
I stand with the dreamers who came to the U.S. as children, learned a new language, adopted new customs and claim American as their identity.
I stand with corporations being taxed. Illegal immigrants have paid more taxes than some of our biggest, most well-known corporations. Which is something I frankly can't stand for.
I stand for same-sex marriage, because without it I would not be allowed the same rights that I now have access to. Such as having my wife beside me at the hospital while we face two episodes of miscarriage. Such as spending the night in the hospital room with my wife as she bravely battles melanoma because I am legally family.
I stand with love because love knows no boundaries or limits, it just is.
I stand with LGBTQI rights and all human rights. I stand with my transgender friends while we hold our bladders to search for a public bathroom that they feel safe using.
I stand with being aware that we are not taking great care of our planet. I acknowledge that our oceans are filled with plastic and that our ice caps are melting at a historically fast rate. I stand with a president that acknowledges this and will work toward policies to help turn our planet around and reduce non-biodegradable wastes.
I stand with women making equal pay, because every family and child could benefit from equal salaries and opportunities.
I stand with voting, because every vote DOES make a difference, and our ancestors fought for the right to vote.
I stand with HILLARY. I stand with my family and friends no matter who they stand for. I stand with you, thoughtful reader. I stand for unity, kindness and love.
Candice Jacobson, 29, alumni of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the City Colleges of Chicago, shares her supportive stance in the upcoming election. She currently lives with her wife, Carly Jacobson, in Milwaukee and works as a bilingual school psychologist in the public schools.