“A young person’s goals are often considered agents only if they include large-scale activism, for example, petitioning an elected representative regarding nuclear waste disposal or cleaning up a section of the Hudson River. However, I propose that agency can also be more personal, focused on one’s own life and immediate community.” (Basu, 254)

This passage stood out to me because of the various definitions and interpretations of the word “agency”. I agree with the interpretation that agency is personal, and that a person must use their own power within themselves in order to be able to help other people. I view acquiring agency as taking control of the smaller or simpler things in life, such as walking, reading or writing. Multiple members of my family lost their agency when they lost their ability to walk. They had to depend on family members for their activities of daily living such as grocery shopping and driving. Agency is intellectual or physical power, and part of an educator’s job is to help empower their students, thus giving them agency.