Campus, Students

At University of Puget Sound, Preventing Sexual Assault Starts With Education

Alanna Volk ’22 works to end sexual violence and provide safe spaces for victims to heal

Alanna Volk ’22 is on a mission to end sexual assaults and promote healthy relationships through the power of sex education. Growing up in Oregon, she was taught a science-backed sex education and was surprised to learn that not everyone in the country benefits from the same curriculum. Since becoming the student coordinator for the BRAVe program (Bystanders Revolution Against Violence) at University of Puget Sound, Volk has created 20 seminars and spoken in front of hundreds of students in an effort to reduce the occurrence of sexual assault on campus and offer support to victims of violence.

“I’ve always been interested in sex education because I think it's a holistic way to look at human life,” Volk says. “The more research I did into harm reduction, the more I realized education was the answer. You can’t expect someone to respect boundaries if they’ve never been told what a boundary is, and that applies in a lot of arenas. I see everything that falls under sex ed as understanding how to communicate with other people.”

BRAVe’s programming covers a variety of interrelated topics under the umbrella of sexual assault awareness, addressing issues of healthy relationships, sex positivity, consent, masculinity and rape culture, intimate partner violence, and more. Volk also has worked to incorporate what she's learned from their classes. She’s especially grateful for the African American studies faculty who helped her understand the role of intersectional identities in harm reduction and the history of sexual violence as a tool of oppression and marginalization.

Alanna Volk ’22

“Making correct and scientific sex education accessible to everyone is the goal.”

Volk is active in a lot of student groups and activities on campus. In addition to working as the BRAVe coordinator, she is a member of the track and field team, president of the Panhellenic Council, and a volunteer with Peer Allies, a student group that provides confidential support and a safe space for survivors of sexual assault. Volk’s work has been well-received on campus, but she would like to see better sex education implemented in K-12 education to model healthy behaviors from a younger age.

“Making correct and scientific sex education accessible to everyone is the goal,” Volk says. “Over the long term, education will have a bigger impact than a single protest or march to raise awareness, and it goes both ways—I’ve learned a lot in this position and from all the people who mentored me and made it possible for me to do this work that I’m so passionate about.”

As she looks forward to graduation and considers pursuing a master’s degree, Volk plans to continue advocacy and education work, either through a teaching career or a PhD in human health and sexuality. In any case, she isn’t finished learning and sharing knowledge with others to help their peers lead happier and healthier lives.

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