Five years after Sandra and her family moved to the United States, they became eligible for citizenship. This was a momentous occasion, given that her family had never been official citizens of any country. To prepare, they learned key facts about American history and politics. As Sandra learned more about the country, her political views began to form.

During her senior year of high school, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot dead in Sanford, Florida. Sandra, who was the same age, empathized with his family, knowing how different their lives would be after the loss. During the trial of Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman, Sandra thought about how there had never been a trial for those who had killed Deborah.

Later that year, Sandra won a Princeton Prize in Race Relations for her photo exhibition and exemplary leadership. The awards conference was held at Princeton University, where she met young activists of color from all over the country. They talked to her about their experiences of discrimination, which made her think that, though she was now an American, many of the kids at school had a hard time believing this was true.