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Kelly Addington and Becca Tieder
Co-founders, One Student Nonprofit
Best friends for 25 years, Addington and Tieder serve as educators and activists who speak about sexual assault awareness, prevention and sexual empowerment. Since 2003, they have shared their message with over 450 college campuses, reaching nearly a million students.
College is a formative time in one’s life. How did UWF shape you as people?
[KA] So much discovery of who you are and who you want to become happens within the collegiate experience. UWF provided an environment where I felt comfortable trying new things and exploring what’s out there. My study abroad experience through UWF was life changing.
[BT] I got to mold and create so much while I was at UWF. That’s what I’ve always loved about the institution—it was a place for creativity. It was a cluster of greatness in this magnificent little place of Pensacola, Florida that I never expected to find.
Your nonprofit provides resources, tools and educational materials to promote social change around sexual violence. Tell us some of the places your message has reached.
From all over Pensacola to the White House to now over 60 countries around the globe, we’ve been able to share our message with so many people. We’ve served as consultants for Dateline NBC and have been featured on The Fox Morning Show, ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, NPR and Marie Claire.
Tell us about the card game you developed for college students.
It’s called “Sexversations®” and is designed to encourage honest and healthy conversations about sex and consent. It encourages people to answer questions and address beliefs, issues and attitudes in order to create a sexually empowered culture by removing barriers and stigma while providing accurate and inclusive sex education.