Elise Roberts is a professional dancer, dedicated friend, and visual artist in her spare time. She is also a survivor of intimate partner violence. As a teenager, Elise experienced depression, bullying, and self-harm. “You are not a victim, you are a victory. Remember— you’ve made it through 100% of your bad days. You made it this far, you can keep going.”

Monica Calzada was intoxicated when she left a college party with her ex-boyfriend’s best friend. “It turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life.” It wasn’t until she started telling her story more openly that she began to process and acknowledge what happened.

Alison worked with a number of law enforcement officials and attorneys to help convict the man who raped her. She believes calling attention to challenging aspects of the criminal justice system may help more survivors feel prepared to report and call attention to weaknesses in the system.

After being disheartened by the lack of police response from the first two assaults, Samentha hesitated to report the third rape, which occurred on her college campus.