After nearly a year on strike, Morocco’s medical students returned to their classrooms. In Part 2 of my conversation with Iman, we explore the psychological toll of the student-led protest that shut down hospital rotations and classes nationwide. Iman recounts encounters with riot police, the losing two peers to suicide, and the what it took to keep going in the face of media pressure and silence. She discusses the hobbies she took up like learning Spanish, hypnosis, and trading, with her newfound time to keep busy. Then, with a new Minister appointed and a deal created, what did the students really win?

In this episode, I sit down with a Moroccan medical student, Iman Dahbi who participated in a year-long national protest against the government's decision to shorten medical training from 7 to 6 years. We explore what started the strike, what students lost, and how future doctors organized and banded together to protect their education.

In this second part of my conversation with Ellis Chung, Ellis reflects on her experience working with Action Youth Media, where she helped shape educational programs through film and learned the importance of building support systems for young leaders. We talk about where her love for film and her focus on uplifting unheard voices stemmed from. She says that three pieces of her identity (AAPI, young, and female) are integral to who and what she advocates for. We discuss why adult mentorship and a strong support system are essential for creating lasting change. You can't do it all alone.

Thank you Ellis, for giving us tips about advocating as a young, AAPI female, and touching on persistence and collaboration along the way.