How Survivor Sparks Came to Be
There are a lot of us. We're all here, and so many feel alone. Here's a story from our founder about how this organization came to be:
When I entered college, I promised myself one thing: "Whatever I do with my life, I want it to help people." Obviously, dreams change from 18 years old to when you grow older, but in the back of my mind, that nagging feeling was always there: I needed to do something to help. Through my adult years, I've worked as a journalist. It started with sex and relationship pieces I somewhat regret after my brain became fully developed, followed by health pieces I didn't fully understand, and then finally, celebrity and entertainment news. It was a form of escapism for people, and I grew to love the job. I got to interview some of my heroes, get the inside scoop on so much, and finally bond with people like me. However, if you're a journalist, you know this fact: It doesn't last forever. In 2025 alone, so many companies, so many beloved news brands, have undertaken mass layoffs, and my company decided to do something similar.
They decided to eliminate remote editorial roles by the end of 2025. See, I don't live in New York, nor do I want to go back there, and I don't live in Los Angeles. I like not living in a studio apartment that's worth my kidneys. It left one thing: I had to leave. So there I was, face to face with a fact I was avoiding: My journalism career may have to come to a close much sooner than I anticipated. But that week I heard, I sat down and pondered: Did my work really even help people? Have I forgotten the goal I made for myself? To save you the hours of introspection and therapy sessions, the short answer is yes. I took time to think of what my unexpected next chapter would be, also known as something I could do to help in my own way.
Well, along with writing, there was another part of my identity, something I tried to keep hidden for a long time.
I am a survivor. I have been raped and I have been sexually assaulted. It was from people I loved, people I trusted, and who I thought loved me. Let me rip off the bandaid for you, no one who loves you would do that to you.
I was stuck in a long cycle of abuse, and luckily, I've been out of it since 2020. But I know that while I have a strong support system and access to therapy, most people do not. Most people never get to tell their stories, or feel like there is a community around them. But there is, and your story should be heard.
That's why Survivor Sparks came to be.
At my worst, I felt so alone, so confused. As a survivor, there are so many emotional changes that happen, ones that no one talks about. You're physically, emotionally, and mentally put through the ringer. (Yes, physically, even years after it happened.) There's so much survivors lack in the US, including free information and a community where you can truly feel not alone. I didn't know what to do when it happened, and years later, but the time for that is over.
The time of misinformation is over.
Survivor Sparks is here to educate, build community, and give fellow survivors a voice, whether through sharing their story or through art.
As our Mission statement says: "Survivor Sparks provides a safe space for female rape and sexual assault survivors by giving an exclusive forum to build a community with fellow survivors to speak out about their stories, as well as providing community-led art exhibits, educational materials, community events, and scholarships."
And our end goal? To create a world where people can feel empowered talking about their story, and to give rape survivors a voice through art and personal expression.
We’re working to create a free forum for survivors to chat openly, to hold speaker events and community events, as well as art installations, and scholarships.
But today? Today, we’re going to make informational guides, blogs, TikToks, and more to educate everyone we can.
The journey starts now, and to all survivors, you're never alone.
