admin
Fri, 02/13/2026 - 20:48
Edited Text
“When you’re confronted with
that level of complexity, where
you do fall back on?”
Katherine Chon
Why we’re proud of this individual:
Kathrine Chon, with the aide of her friend from college Derek Ellerman, co-founded the Polaris Project.
Katherine Chon was a psychology major attending Brown University. When she started college, she was presented with a question: “Would you be an abolitionist during the slavery era in the United States?” For a long
time, she didn’t know how to answer. She could say with some certainty that she would be an abolitionist,
but she just couldn’t definitively say yes or no. This question sat in the back of her mind until one day she
could finally proclaim that she would have been an abolitionist in the slavery era which then posed the
question: “Why wasn’t she an advocate for those that are slaves in modern day United States?”
After her epiphany and after she graduated college, she strategized with Derek Ellerman about what they
could do to try and combat the human trafficking crisis in the United States.
For years, the two friends went state to state to try and get some sort of law on the books regarding human
trafficking. When they started, there were only two states that had laws for human trafficking, but by 2018,
every state with the exception of Wyoming has some form of a law against human trafficking. This was the
start of their change.
During that time, Polaris Project would receive calls regarding the disappearance of children and adults. Polaris Project would have contacts with the local law enforcement and they would launch an investigation to
try and find these people—and most times they would be successful.
https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/events/tedx/katherine-chon
Other Observances This Month:
January
3: Festival of Sleep Day
January
16: National Nothing Day
January
7: Old Rock Day
January
21: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday
January
13: Make Your Dream Come True Day
January
28: National Kazoo Day
Brought to you by the Office of Social Equity, 210 Carrier
Clarion University is an affirmative action equal opportunity employer
that level of complexity, where
you do fall back on?”
Katherine Chon
Why we’re proud of this individual:
Kathrine Chon, with the aide of her friend from college Derek Ellerman, co-founded the Polaris Project.
Katherine Chon was a psychology major attending Brown University. When she started college, she was presented with a question: “Would you be an abolitionist during the slavery era in the United States?” For a long
time, she didn’t know how to answer. She could say with some certainty that she would be an abolitionist,
but she just couldn’t definitively say yes or no. This question sat in the back of her mind until one day she
could finally proclaim that she would have been an abolitionist in the slavery era which then posed the
question: “Why wasn’t she an advocate for those that are slaves in modern day United States?”
After her epiphany and after she graduated college, she strategized with Derek Ellerman about what they
could do to try and combat the human trafficking crisis in the United States.
For years, the two friends went state to state to try and get some sort of law on the books regarding human
trafficking. When they started, there were only two states that had laws for human trafficking, but by 2018,
every state with the exception of Wyoming has some form of a law against human trafficking. This was the
start of their change.
During that time, Polaris Project would receive calls regarding the disappearance of children and adults. Polaris Project would have contacts with the local law enforcement and they would launch an investigation to
try and find these people—and most times they would be successful.
https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/events/tedx/katherine-chon
Other Observances This Month:
January
3: Festival of Sleep Day
January
16: National Nothing Day
January
7: Old Rock Day
January
21: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday
January
13: Make Your Dream Come True Day
January
28: National Kazoo Day
Brought to you by the Office of Social Equity, 210 Carrier
Clarion University is an affirmative action equal opportunity employer