Educator Interview: Patricia Yeazell

,What brought you to Speak About It? What Interested You In The Work?

I enjoyed that Speak About It was utilizing acting for education. I had previously worked for Bond, a security app company where I would portray clients in distress to train their security agents. I also worked for LiquidGoldConcept as a standardized patient where my characters were in different stages of pregnancy and postpartum health so medical professionals could earn clinical hours by meeting with me. These experiences taught me what a powerful teaching tool acting can be and how satisfying it is to educate others. Speak About It's mission is very near and dear to my heart and I knew working in this field would help me to feel empowered to create change in my community.

What is a stand-out moment from tour?

I had a student come up to me after a show and thank me for caring. Caring is the least we can do as a society and my heart burned for how alone they might have felt. That experience greatly validated how important this work is. and helped firm up my commitment to continue in this field.

What is something that you’ve learned while working with SAI?

Coercion is important to talk about because it may not be “illegal”, but it's very harmful. Not everyone is aware of that nuance. For example, if you tell someone you want to be in a relationship with them so that they will sleep with you but you don't actually want to date them- that’s a coercive dynamic. It's wrong even if you're not going to face “legal consequences”. Prior to working at Speak About It I would have just thought of somebody like that as a “bad person”, but it's important to know the terminology so we can better discuss it and create a culture of change.

What has surprised you about this work? 

I'm surprised by how little formal sex education myself and others have had. I didn't really know how little I knew until I had the opportunity to learn more about it. What I did learn in school was mostly anatomy, STI's, and birth control. Consent wasn't even discussed! In some cases, because sex-ed isn't on a standardized test, the subject is less incentivized.

How do you practice self care? (In general, and/or in regards to engaging in work that can often be challenging!)

Chocolate, comedy, exercise, in that order. I have to take care of my body by working out and occasionally indulging in comfort food but I also do stand-up in my free time. If you don't have a sense of humor about your life then you don't have anything.

Why do you “speak about it”? :’)

As a sexual assault survivor, I want everyone to understand the importance of their bodily autonomy and feel empowered to make the decisions that make them feel safe in their interactions with others. Additionally, I understand how vulnerable it can be to experience abuse and I want people to be aware of available resources that can help. That's why I Speak About It.

You can keep up to date with Patricia by following us on Instagram. Stay tuned to learn more about our educators!