An early 2018 Saturday marked the continuation of change in our societal landscape. On January 21st, thousands of college students gathered in cities around the United States to march in solidarity for the protection of women's rights, recognizing and celebrating that diversity strengthens our communities. These marches — called Women's Marches —took place in dozens of cities around the world, and it has been reported that, collectively, millions of people participated worldwide on Saturday, President Donald Trump's first full day in office.

We asked three college women in three separate cities to share their march experiences with us. Below, Amanda Hakan, Deun Ivory, and Emily Berl express through photographs and their own words what Saturday's marches meant to them.

Amanda Hakan – Washington D.C.

"[Saturday] was the first (& hopefully not the last) time I have felt so empowered, energized, and part of something historic. After receiving such sorrowful and dark news on the morning of November 9th, I knew I had to participate in the March on Washington. As a woman, as a photographer, as someone who has many years left on this earth and plans to have a family, I felt it my duty to fight for the future of those things and to use tools accessible to me to document the experience. It was unimaginable standing in a crowd of 1.3 million people, mostly women, fighting for the many causes in need of our voice. I’ll be processing that level of energy & power for years to come. This is just the beginning, let's keep the fire #lit!"

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Deun Ivory — Chicago, IL

"The Women’s March on Chicago was a beautiful experience because I was able to march alongside 250,000 strangers, from all walks of life, who were somehow connected by a common thread of relatability. What stood out to me was the amount of comfort I experienced being amongst so many different types of people. I felt like I was in the company of people who genuinely wanted to see my rights protected, regardless of my skin color and gender. I felt compelled to go [to the march] because I am black and I am woman. My basic human rights are threatened every single day and unfortunately, white supremacy is a very real thing. In addition to creating spaces and opportunities for people of color to thrive in my own line of work, I also wanted to protest alongside other people of society who shared my frustrations with mistreatment, bigotry and the fact that Donald Trump is in office."

Emily Berl — Los Angeles, CA

"Saturday was the first time I can remember when everyone I know in my city was going to the same place at the same time. The sheer number of people at the L.A. Women’s March was stunning, and left me with an overwhelming sense of community. Though massive, the crowd was calm and family friendly. Even though the signs people held addressed a wide range of issues -- from abortion rights, to racism, to the environment -- everyone’s concerns seemed part of the same story, not separate narratives pulling focus in different directions. I know this march and the others happening across the world on Saturday aren’t going to bring on any immediate changes in our government, but I left with the feeling that maybe it's the start of something real. At least, I hope it is."