Nancy Aardema

Kelvyn Park High School students had the pleasure of interviewing Nancy Aardema. She’s the executive director of Logan Square Neighborhood Association. During this interview we learned many things about her life, her career, her family, her motivations, and her views on social justice. Nancy has one son and two grandchildren. She grew up in a farm during most of her life and even though her parents were strict she thanks them now because they made her who she is today. Nancy is a very smart, caring women who devotes her time to helping other in her community. She had a very hard childhood growing up during the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement.

Nancy is the executive director of LSNA. She has been working as an organizer for 35 years, and she has worked for the Logan Square community for 24 years . Nancy helps fight for peoples right, she believes in family being able to stay together no matter what the situation is. During the interview she told us, “My job is not to be upfront and say this is what's making me mad--it's my job to say to you what's making you mad.” She tries to help everyone in any possible way she can and she gives a lot to her job. Sometimes you wonder how does she motivate herself to do so much for us. How does she get inspired?

Nancy seems like the type of person that would do anything to help people out, but she has days when she wants to give up and stop organizing. When we asked her, “What are your inspirations or motivations?” She told us that she was inspired by people who were willing to fight for their rights. She told us there were days where she was tired but then she saw things that would upset her and she knew she had to do something about it. For instance, she told us you never knew what a homeless person had been through before they were homeless until you take the time to talk to them. Nancy also said students were one of her motivations. This woman has done many things for the community. Her success are a lot and many people recognize her for what  she has done for others.

Nancy was involved in getting the DACA legislation passed, and not only that but she has worked with many families that are at risk of getting separated because of their legal statuses. She has worked with a not-for-profit development company to build affordable housing for people in need. Currently she has been working with others to help stop the many schools closing, but she believes that it won't make a difference and they should find a better way to solve that problem and CPS should find a better way of funding. Nancy is also working on getting students better opportunities. She said all these things are big social justice issues.

We asked her, “What does social justice mean to you?” She told us, “Social Justice is a way society can communicate and people coming together fighting for their rights without hurting others.” Nancy believes people should be independent about their rights and not let others decide what their rights should be. She told us that a big social justice issue is that the U.S didn't realize that it depends on immigrant labor. We also asked her what a hero was to her, she told us, “A hero is someone who speaks up for their rights and is willing to fight for them.” Nobody should let people with money decide their future just because they have money or power.

Nancy is a real inspiration to fight for our rights and not to let people walk over us. There are many ways that  people can help in this community just by getting involved a little bit. Just the way she sees life in general makes people rethink what they have said about many things. Nancy was a very down to earth person who just wants the best for people. She is very devoted to her work and she doesn't stop fighting for others rights. She wants to change the world one thing at a time, little by little and she wants to help everyone. This wonderful person is a walking inspiration, whoever she talks to she inspires or motivates to be look at the world in a different way.