A UC San Diego senior who is helping the school address sexual assault issues will be honored as a “Champion of Change” by the Obama administration on Thursday, the White House announced Tuesday.
Meghan Yap, of La Jolla, is developing sexual violence policy and best practice recommendations for the university, as an intern at the UCSD Medical School Center on Gender Equity and Health, according to the White House.
Yap has been reviewing recommendations from state and national coalitions against sexual assault and analyzing campus policies to assess their adherence to those approaches. She also advocates for greater sensitivity and to prevent re-victimization of survivors.
According to the White House, her first exposure to sexual violence came while working as an emergency medical technician in Los Angeles, and she made it her mission to combat the problem when she experienced sexual assault on campus.
The first-generation college student plans to graduate in June and pursue a master’s degree in public health and a doctorate in global health.
Yap and nine others will be honored at a White House event that will feature remarks by Vice President Joe Biden and Tina Tchen, executive director of the White House Council on Women and Girls. The program will also feature actor Matt McGorry.
–City News Service
