School can be stressful during the coronavirus pandemic, but giving up isn’t an option for San Jose State communications senior and activist Natasha Harris. 

Harris has played for the SJSU women’s soccer team in the last four years and has been touted as one of the strongest defenders in the 2018 Mountain West Championship winning squad, according to the SJSU Athletics website. 

She was a starter for one of the top defensive back lines in collegiate soccer and helped lead the defense for a school record of 11 shutouts, which included eight in conference play, a Mountain West single-season record.

Harris opted out of this season and said she’s focusing on her mental health and wanted to distance herself from the team.

“I’ve recently been diagnosed with bipolar and BPD [Borderline personality disorder] and it was really affecting my relationships with people on the team and my motivation,” Harris said in a Zoom interview. “I decided that it might be best for not only myself, but also for the girls, if I just opted out of this final season.”

Harris added she felt insecure and disconnected from her teammates after she returned to the team following a knee injury. 

Harris has continued to focus on her work as an activist following this decision. 

She helped create Athletes4CHNGES, an organization dedicated to promoting equality and solidarity. 

SJSU alumna Darrian Reed joined the organization when it first began and said it has grown significantly from a small group of friends to an online platform with more than 3,000 followers.

“When Natasha was first getting involved with Athletes4CHNGES, it wasn’t even a group,” Reed said. 

Reed said the organization began when Harris got her team involved in a virtual run created by her friends from University of California, Santa Barbara.

“She then reached out to me to see if I could help out a bit with making graphics and we ended up becoming this whole organization with an online platform,” Reed said.

Harris believes having a platform is important for every activist and said her online following allows her to spread awareness about local events and fundraisers.

She said that after the events surrounding the death of George Floyd last year, she realized many people around her were unaware of major social issues that impact people 
of color. 

“I know, a lot of people might think I’m just posting to post or yelling at everybody about something that can’t be changed,” Harris said. “But I fully believe it starts with each individual. And that’s what I’m trying to work on.” 

Harris continues to work hard for the San Jose community and is educating others on social justice, according to kinesiology senior and former teammate Karlee Pottorff. 

“We’re founding different [platforms] like SJSpeaksup and Athletes4CHNGES and she’s always been part of a lot of social activism,” Pottorff said in a Zoom interview. “[Harris] has always been drawn to encourage others to become part of [the movement] too and empower people through what she’s educating and what she’s experiencing.” 

Harris said she plans to work on social activism in the San Jose community even after she graduates this semester.