By Emilie Trepanier

Being “educated” is a generalized term. Some believe it means earning a college education while others believe it means staying up to date on current events. However, being educated on the dangers of domestic violence as well as preventative measures is another kind of education. Break the Silence Against Domestic Violence (BTSADV)  doesn’t just use our platform to teach about domestic violence; we also organize and execute the Angel Fund each year.

The Angel Fund is a virtual fundraiser in the name of fallen Angels, and the money raised is donated as a scholarship to students attending trade school, undergrad, or even their master’s program. Not only is this event educational about the truth behind domestic violence and murder, but these scholarships can benefit students of all ages.

Sunny Lim, a student who won one of the Angel Fund’s $500 scholarships in 2018, is now a volunteer for BTSADV. Sunny had no choice but to apply for as many scholarships as she could in addition to working while earning her undergraduate degree, and she felt a connection to BTSADV due to a family connection to domestic violence.

Sunny was awarded a scholarship in the name of Suzanne “Sunny” King, who went to medical school and became a psychiatrist specializing in abuse and trauma. When she was 64 years old, she was shot and killed by her fiancé.

According to Lim, the Angel Fund made it possible for her to graduate on time. Lim actually graduated high school at 16 years old, and was able to finish her undergrad in journalism at 20 years old. She said being awarded Sunny’s Scholarship “means a great honor because the scholarship is named in memory of an Angel.” She added on that she’s “touched by how each scholarship honors the memory of each Angel,” and that the fund is yet another way to help survivors, as well as anyone who has been affected by domestic violence.

After earning her degree in journalism, Lim began volunteering for BTSADV–being awarded an Angel Scholarship was her gateway into our organization. She plans on earning a master’s in psychology, with a goal to work as a clinical social worker to help people with disabilities and domestic violence survivors.

According to an article published in November 2017 by Anna Libertin at Healing Abuse Working for Change, college-aged women (ages 16-24) have the highest per capita rate of intimate partner violence. Libertin says “twenty-one percent of college students report having experienced dating violence by a current partner, and 32% of college students report experiencing dating violence by a previous partner.” She goes on to say that 70% of “young” victims don’t realize they are being abused by their partner. Finally, the article emphasizes the importance of protection programs carried out by schools and universities.

In several ways, education truly can save lives; whether that be preventative work, education on spotting domestic violence or in protecting victims. Lim said, “…a lot of people might not know the signs of physical, emotional, financial, sexual abuse. It can be confusing to decipher the signs whether you’re in an abusive relationship because of gaslighting and other manipulation tactics.” She added that education can inform people of various signs of abuse and how to watch for them.

One sign of abuse Lim mentioned was financial abuse; a form of abuse where one intimate partner has all of the control over the other’s economic resources, which prevents the second partner from establishing any kind of independence. Lim said knowing what various kinds of abuse are, in order to spot them and in turn help the survivor, is the kind of educational information that can save lives.

BTSADV continues to teach survivors, loved ones of survivors, and those who do not have any ties to domestic violence, on these heavy issues. In addition, BTSADV aims to work as a support system for all of the above. The Angel Fund is meant to bring awareness, as well as help those affected by domestic abuse in their educational endeavors.

If you would like to get involved in the 2019 Angel Fund, text BTS to 51555, or reach out to the Angel Fund Director, Nanette Chezum at nanette@breakthesilencedv.org for more information.