Jemima

If you had $50 what would you spend it on?

It’s sad but my mind immediately went to gas. I know it’s bad for the environment but I live in Muriwai and I have to drive so far to get places! I want more efficient public transport, Auckland needs a much much better public transport scene.

Last thing you googled?

What does MPS mean? I got out of my exam for Economics and I didn’t know what it was! It means ‘marginal propensity to save.’ 

Last thing you ate? 

A bowl of Nutrigrain. I only ever eat it in the evenings. I don’t have time in the morning!

Ok, hit us with your life story?

I was born in Wellington, lived there for a year, then moved up to Auckland. Now I live in Muriwai. I love dancing, I do contemporary and lyrical and I teach hip hop – I started when I was 4. 

What do you want to do after school ends?

After school finishes I want to travel and see the world and go on adventures. Mum’s family live in England so I’ll go over there, then backpack around Europe and see the world! Granada…Seville…they have some amazing architecture there. In the big picture, after school I don’t really know what I want to do. Maybe something to do with dance or science…I just want to have fun. 

What does being a feminist mean to you?

It means equality and thinking about every type of woman. It’s about being as inclusive as possible, helping women and helping men. It’s weird that it’s still a problem. It’s been a long time, it’s over a hundred years since women got the vote! We should be there already. It blows my mind how some people aren’t accepting it! It’s mostly boys who say that stuff though.

Does society know what a feminist is yet?

There’s a huge misconception that feminists hate men. And also this idea that men and women are already equal. But that’s not the case. Legally yes, but we’re not treated equally. And all men should be feminists, everyone should be a feminist! My Dad is a feminist, a bunch of my boy mates are! Feminism isn’t only about benefiting women, it benefits men too! (Not that this should be a selling point…) 

What’s the most pressing issue facing your generation today?

Climate change. We are so spoiled in our lives with so much tech, and we’re reluctant to give up anything to help the environment, not everyone needs to go crazy on it! Everyone just needs to make small changes, and if everyone did then we’d have a big difference. 

How have you made a difference to climate change?

I’ve stopped eating meat to reduce my carbon footprint, I’ve stopped buying first hand clothing to stop fast fashion, and I take plastic bottles/cups/boxes when I go out. I reduce my single use plastic and we use compostable bags. It’s surprisingly not a big change. I was only going to do the changes for a month or until I run out of energy, but it’s been really easy to keep it going. You forget you’re doing it. 

Do you feel like an adult? 

I don’t feel like an adult, in a weird way I feel like I never will. I’m not just gonna one day wake up and suddenly feel I’m an adult now! 

So what’s your ideal successful future? 

Having a stable job I enjoy and enough time to do my own thing. And overall continue to have stories to tell people about all the cool things I’ve done and experiences I’ve had.

So what’s one word to sum up how you feel about your future?

Excited, I don’t know what’s going to happen but I hope it’s good! I feel kinda cruisey, I’m going around having a good time. I take it day by day.