Interview with Jessica Hutt
We recently did an interview with Jessica Hutt, a writer, activist, and organizer.
Below is the conversation between Daania and Jessica.
Question 1: Introduce yourself and what are you hobbies/passions?
Jessica: My name is Jessica Hutt and I am an aspiring writer from New Jersey. I’m really passionate about change-making, be it through organizing, community service, or my writing. Some issues that I am particularly interested are environmental justice, mental health advocacy, equality of opportunity, reproductive rights, and gun violence prevention.
Question 2: Let’s focus on your writing for a moment. How are you actively working towards that dream?
Jessica: Writing has been a lifelong dream for me, but I’ve recently come to realize that I can’t pursue all forms of writing, even though I have a love for every genre. Right now I’m focusing on finding my identity as a writer. I’m doing this by trying to get involved with as many different forms of writing as possible (creative writing, journalism, poetry, public relations, blogging, etc.) and seeing what “sticks” so I can put all of my efforts into pursuing that. Some of the things I have done on this journey include starting my own personal blog, serving as the Editor-in-Chief of a nonprofit, completing a six month-long public relations internship, and submitting my creative writing and poetry to literary journals.
Question 3: What type of writing is your favorite and why?
Jessica: Right now, I’ve really been enjoying blogging for organizations whose missions I wholeheartedly stand for and believe in. I love the idea of my work having real impact and helping something much bigger than myself. I’ve really enjoyed working with Tangible Movement and Catcalls of NYC in particular!
Question 4: Please expand on what the Tangible Movement and the Catcalls of NYC are?
Jessica: Of course! Tangible Movement is an organization that was formed to educate, inspire, and provide tangible support to youth and young adults struggling with mental illness and gender and sexual identity. Catcalls of NYC is an initiative to raise awareness and spark dialogue about street harassment by writing colorful chalk quotes at the location where a reported incident took place. The movement started locally in New York, but has expanded into a global project.
Question 5: Moving on to issues that you are interested in, what has brought you to feel strongly about those issues and what are your opinions on those issues? (Environmental justice, mental health advocacy, equality of opportunity, reproductive rights, and gun violence protection)
Jessica: When I began taking an interest in current events and educating myself about the issues plaguing my local community and greater world, I was surprised by how passionate and opinionated I became! I feel it is imperative for those in power to acknowledge the current state of the environment and take action to prevent further destruction. In terms of mental health advocacy, I feel that the stigma surrounding asking for help must be eliminated, and that education programs and quality resources must be available in every school. With equality of opportunity, I am saddened by the lack of socioeconomic mobility in lower-income areas, and am fighting for reform. I am pro-choice and stand for common sense gun control laws, including red flag laws.
Question 6: You wrote a song about low income neighborhoods. How did you come up with the idea of interpreting music and politics?
Jessica: Great question! The day that I began writing the song, I was looking at research from Harvard’s Opportunity Insights project. Opportunity Insights is a collection of research that shows that the American Dream (that is, the aspiration that all children have a chance at success, regardless of their background) is fading. I was really intrigued by what I had learned, and continued my research by reading about Wash U’s lack of economic diversity. I was really inspired to write after all of the reading that I had done, and ended up creating a poem that later became the first verse of the song. Looking back at it a few days later, I became curious about what it would sound like if put to music, and that’s how the idea of the song came to life!
Question 7: What career path have your passions opened up for you? What university do you hope to attend, if any?
Jessica: Exploring my passions within the realm of writing has helped me to identify some career paths that I would be thrilled to go down, including journalism, public relations, and nonprofit work. I intend on going to college, but I’m not exactly sure what my “dream school” is yet!
Question 8: Who has been your biggest supporter as you pursue your hobbies in different ways?
Jessica: No one person has been my “biggest supporter”- rather, I am lucky enough to have an amazing and diverse support system that has both uplifted and inspired me. I’m truly blessed to have an amazing group of friends who have been nothing but supportive of me in this journey. My family has also been incredibly encouraging, celebrating my achievements with me and sacrificing so that I can have access to resources like summer programs where I can hone my skill and improve my craft. Finally, I am indebted to the people who have taken a chance on me, be it the editors of a lit mag or the adults behind a nonprofit who decide to let a teenager write for their blog. I would never be able to pursue my passions or achieve the things that I have without the support of others.
Question 9: What advice would you give to teens following your path?
Jessica: The most important thing that I have learned on this journey is the importance of asking for what you want. I am far from assertive by nature, and hate asking for things! However, I’ve learned that who you are as a person can be completely different from who you are as an artist. Whether it’s reaching out to someone you admire for mentorship or asking for an interview with someone you’re intimidated by, you’re not going to get anything without asking for it! Another piece of advice that I would give to teens following my path is to try not to be too discouraged by failure. I know it’s impossible to just “turn off” feelings, but as a teenager who is just starting to learn, chances are that you’re going to face your fair share of rejections. Please don’t let this take away from your passion for writing!
Question 10: What advice would you give to teens in general?
Jessica: I would stress the importance of becoming aware and involved. As the next generation, it is essential that we educate ourselves about the issues that affect us and take action to fix them. I regret how passive and uninformed I was up until recently, and would encourage others to avoid the same pitfalls that I fell into.
Last Question: any last things to add?
Jessica: I don’t think so! Thanks so much for the interview :)
Daania: Thank you for doing it!
Visit Jessica's Instagram: @jessica.hutt
Click buttons for more!
Jessica: My name is Jessica Hutt and I am an aspiring writer from New Jersey. I’m really passionate about change-making, be it through organizing, community service, or my writing. Some issues that I am particularly interested are environmental justice, mental health advocacy, equality of opportunity, reproductive rights, and gun violence prevention.
Question 2: Let’s focus on your writing for a moment. How are you actively working towards that dream?
Jessica: Writing has been a lifelong dream for me, but I’ve recently come to realize that I can’t pursue all forms of writing, even though I have a love for every genre. Right now I’m focusing on finding my identity as a writer. I’m doing this by trying to get involved with as many different forms of writing as possible (creative writing, journalism, poetry, public relations, blogging, etc.) and seeing what “sticks” so I can put all of my efforts into pursuing that. Some of the things I have done on this journey include starting my own personal blog, serving as the Editor-in-Chief of a nonprofit, completing a six month-long public relations internship, and submitting my creative writing and poetry to literary journals.
Question 3: What type of writing is your favorite and why?
Jessica: Right now, I’ve really been enjoying blogging for organizations whose missions I wholeheartedly stand for and believe in. I love the idea of my work having real impact and helping something much bigger than myself. I’ve really enjoyed working with Tangible Movement and Catcalls of NYC in particular!
Question 4: Please expand on what the Tangible Movement and the Catcalls of NYC are?
Jessica: Of course! Tangible Movement is an organization that was formed to educate, inspire, and provide tangible support to youth and young adults struggling with mental illness and gender and sexual identity. Catcalls of NYC is an initiative to raise awareness and spark dialogue about street harassment by writing colorful chalk quotes at the location where a reported incident took place. The movement started locally in New York, but has expanded into a global project.
Question 5: Moving on to issues that you are interested in, what has brought you to feel strongly about those issues and what are your opinions on those issues? (Environmental justice, mental health advocacy, equality of opportunity, reproductive rights, and gun violence protection)
Jessica: When I began taking an interest in current events and educating myself about the issues plaguing my local community and greater world, I was surprised by how passionate and opinionated I became! I feel it is imperative for those in power to acknowledge the current state of the environment and take action to prevent further destruction. In terms of mental health advocacy, I feel that the stigma surrounding asking for help must be eliminated, and that education programs and quality resources must be available in every school. With equality of opportunity, I am saddened by the lack of socioeconomic mobility in lower-income areas, and am fighting for reform. I am pro-choice and stand for common sense gun control laws, including red flag laws.
Question 6: You wrote a song about low income neighborhoods. How did you come up with the idea of interpreting music and politics?
Jessica: Great question! The day that I began writing the song, I was looking at research from Harvard’s Opportunity Insights project. Opportunity Insights is a collection of research that shows that the American Dream (that is, the aspiration that all children have a chance at success, regardless of their background) is fading. I was really intrigued by what I had learned, and continued my research by reading about Wash U’s lack of economic diversity. I was really inspired to write after all of the reading that I had done, and ended up creating a poem that later became the first verse of the song. Looking back at it a few days later, I became curious about what it would sound like if put to music, and that’s how the idea of the song came to life!
Question 7: What career path have your passions opened up for you? What university do you hope to attend, if any?
Jessica: Exploring my passions within the realm of writing has helped me to identify some career paths that I would be thrilled to go down, including journalism, public relations, and nonprofit work. I intend on going to college, but I’m not exactly sure what my “dream school” is yet!
Question 8: Who has been your biggest supporter as you pursue your hobbies in different ways?
Jessica: No one person has been my “biggest supporter”- rather, I am lucky enough to have an amazing and diverse support system that has both uplifted and inspired me. I’m truly blessed to have an amazing group of friends who have been nothing but supportive of me in this journey. My family has also been incredibly encouraging, celebrating my achievements with me and sacrificing so that I can have access to resources like summer programs where I can hone my skill and improve my craft. Finally, I am indebted to the people who have taken a chance on me, be it the editors of a lit mag or the adults behind a nonprofit who decide to let a teenager write for their blog. I would never be able to pursue my passions or achieve the things that I have without the support of others.
Question 9: What advice would you give to teens following your path?
Jessica: The most important thing that I have learned on this journey is the importance of asking for what you want. I am far from assertive by nature, and hate asking for things! However, I’ve learned that who you are as a person can be completely different from who you are as an artist. Whether it’s reaching out to someone you admire for mentorship or asking for an interview with someone you’re intimidated by, you’re not going to get anything without asking for it! Another piece of advice that I would give to teens following my path is to try not to be too discouraged by failure. I know it’s impossible to just “turn off” feelings, but as a teenager who is just starting to learn, chances are that you’re going to face your fair share of rejections. Please don’t let this take away from your passion for writing!
Question 10: What advice would you give to teens in general?
Jessica: I would stress the importance of becoming aware and involved. As the next generation, it is essential that we educate ourselves about the issues that affect us and take action to fix them. I regret how passive and uninformed I was up until recently, and would encourage others to avoid the same pitfalls that I fell into.
Last Question: any last things to add?
Jessica: I don’t think so! Thanks so much for the interview :)
Daania: Thank you for doing it!
Visit Jessica's Instagram: @jessica.hutt
Click buttons for more!