Jennifer Evans

Jennifer Evans’ life changed the day she heard a lecture by David Batstone, cofounder and president of Not for Sale, an organization that deals with human trafficking issues. The lecture changed her outlook and her direction in life.

Evans became involved with advocacy Nongovernment organizations (NGOs), volunteered in different places, travelled to Cambodia and India, and has gone back to school to get the tools she needs to help people who have become victims of this societal disorder.

The summer following the lecture, Evans went with Not for Sale to Cambodia to learn more about the issue. There she met with Somaly Mam, a former victim of human trafficking. Mam aspired to start an organization to rehabilitate other girls, but unfortunately a large number of girls went back into the sex industry.

“It was something that really stayed in my heart,” Evans said, “and I knew that it was something I wanted to stay in for the rest of my life. So, I was doing local volunteering, but it was never enough. Finally, I decided to get a degree that will help me to be more educated, equipped, capable of working in this field.” Two years ago Evans declared a criminal justice major with French and political science minors.

Even with such a heavy academic load, Evans still finds time to help in the community. She has worked with multiple NGOs, including Not for Sale, Love 146, and Transitions Global.

Translations Global was started by a Portland family who was so moved by the cause that, in just half a year, they sold their home and moved to Cambodia and started their organization to help victims of human trafficking.

The organization’s success rate is between 70 and 80 percent because it provides girls with the resources to live a better life, along with giving them medical attention.

After getting her undergraduate degree, Jennifer is planning to continue her education at CU Denver by completing an accelerated master’s program. Her dream job is to work with International Justice Mission (IJM), one of the largest human rights organizations in the the world.

“I would love to work with the organization that works so closely with the issue,” Evans said. On a trip to India, Evans met a few interns from IJM and talking with them strengthened her desire to work with the organization.

Despite her passion for the fight against human trafficking, Evans doesn’t push people to follow her. She talks to them and hopes that the facts will influence them as much as they did her. Yet, she can easily accept and understand that everybody has their own passions.

“I believe that you can always make time for something that is important to you. No matter how busy people are, if they want to do something, they’ll find the time to do it,” Evans said. “I feel like people think that if they cannot do something huge, then it doesn’t matter, but every little act can have such a huge impact on some people.”