Have you ever heard the term “watershed moment”? It’s a turning point, a moment that divides life into “before” and “after.”
My name is Emily Tavarez, and I’ve had several of those moments. Some broke me. Others helped me rebuild. All of them shaped who I am today.
Like many survivors, I never thought it would happen to me. When I was 16, I told a boy from school no. I told him I was saving myself for marriage. A few weeks later, he assaulted me. He said this was my punishment and that nobody gets to tell him no.
I used to think rape only happened the way I saw it on TV — violent, in a dark alley, with a weapon. But my story didn’t look like that. And that made it even harder to understand, or to believe that what happened to me was real.
Afterward, I tried to pretend I was fine. I told myself I was okay. That lasted a few days, until a close friend refused to leave the car one morning until I told her what was wrong. When I finally said the words out loud, she said she wouldn’t get out until I told my mom.
That conversation changed everything.
At the hospital, my mom was handed a pamphlet for the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA).
At the time, I felt completely lost. But MOCSA became my lifeline. They gave me counseling, advocacy, and, most importantly, people who understood. For the first time, I started to believe that what happened wasn’t my fault.
That was a watershed moment: the moment I stopped drowning and started to heal.
Years later, in my early twenties, I moved out of state and was assaulted again. This time, I knew what to do. The foundation MOCSA helped me build was still there. I reached out for help immediately.
That was another watershed moment: realizing that healing had taught me how to protect myself, how to seek support, and how to keep moving forward.
I want to be clear: I survived. Both times.
But MOCSA taught me that survival isn’t the end of the story — it’s the beginning. Healing, growing, and helping others is the real victory.
Each of us has the power to create change, one moment at a time. Every action matters, whether it’s speaking up when you hear a victim-blaming comment, listening without judgment when someone shares their story, or learning how to support those who’ve experienced trauma.
We all have the power to make a difference. To believe survivors. To support survivors. To stand with survivors.