“I applied the economic benefits of prevention-mindedness to the way we think about sexual assault.”
If that sentence standing alone impressed you, it should. This is what Cal Poly fourth year Nicole Huffman discussed during her overwhelmingly impactful speech at TEDxCalPoly in October of last year, a speech that brought the audience to tears and left them on their feet in a standing ovation. Nicole is not only a powerful leader in the fight against sexual assault, she’s a pretty rad human being – learn more about her below!
Major: Kinesiology
Year: 4
Hometown: Atascadero, California. The little slice of Texas just 17 minutes north of San Luis Obispo.
Favorite place to get dessert in SLO?
That’s a toughie. I’d have to say Madonna Inn. My best friend and I have a ritual: we go on a Madonna cake date every year right before Christmas.
What organizations are you involved with on campus?
I’m the Head of Awareness and Education for Current Solutions and a member of Alpha Chi Omega.
Tell us about your TEDx speech you did in the fall. What did you talk about? How did it go?
It went really well! It was definitely the scariest thing I’ve ever done, but also the most impactful, and that’s what matters most. I talked about prevention and recovery spending, and the fivefold difference between the two. Then I applied the economic benefits of prevention-mindedness to the way we think about sexual assault. If we chose to see sexual assault as a public health crisis like the way we see smoking or cardiovascular health, we could invest taxpayer dollars in preventing it before it happens instead of spending five times as much to recuperate the damage. It’s quite a simple approach, really — it’s mostly just a shift in paradigm and a commitment to educate about and against rape so that it doesn’t have to take place to begin with. People often find themselves more invested in a topic if it relates to their money, so I’d like to think I got some people invested in preventing sexual assault; at the very least because it costs so much.
Who or what offers you inspiration?
Women inspire me. Health clinicians and organizers inspire me. Anyone and everyone fighting to secure healthcare as a basic human right inspires me. And Bob Dylan.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would travel to Thailand. My mother emigrated from Thailand and my grandfather lives there now.
What advice would you like to give to next year’s incoming freshmen women?
I just saw an Instagram quote that I’d like to pass forward: “Don’t be delicate. Be vast and brilliant.”
Don’t settle for a desk job if a desk job is not what you want from life. Don’t settle for a partner who compliments your body but neglects to acknowledge your brain. Don’t back down from your dreams and don’t apologize for pursuing them fervently. Invest in other people. Get enough sleep. Time passes no matter what you’re doing, so don’t do what you’re doing half-assed.
What are your plans for after college?
I plan on taking a gap year before applying to grad school. I hope to get a masters in physician assistant sciences and a masters in public health so I can work as a health professional.