Writer, Toothpaste (2004 South Texas Contest Winner)

"We made our film because we want young people to make better decisions [about sexual health] and be sure about what they are doing... You need to know the consequences — you need to have the information."

- Toothpaste writers

The four writers of Toothpaste are from Mission, Texas a town with a population of 46,000 that sits just a few miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The girls wrote their story for a group project during their senior year of high school. They spent months turning their story into a professional script and then helped Ben Younger direct the film over two days during the summer after their graduation.

Laura Coria, co-writer of the film Toothpaste, is currently attending college where she majors in Communications and Spanish. Since the film, Laura and her co-writers have partnered with Scenarios USA, Advocates for Youth, and Longhorn LULAC. With Advocates for Youth, Laura has joined the My Voice Counts! Campaign and lobbied on Capitol Hill. Laura was also one of the first students to participate in the Scenarios USA Leadership Development Program, in which she has used her film to promote reproductive rights and comprehensive sexual health education across the country. Laura continues to encourage and assist students in getting involved in issues that matters most to them, including sexual health.

Find out more about Toothpaste or view it now (16 minutes):

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