Simon Ashford (he/him) is the Education Intern for One Institute through the Center for Life Beyond Reed .

Simon is currently a rising sophomore at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, majoring in political science on a pre-law track. He was born and raised in Santa Monica, California.

Simon is passionate about art, history, and law. He is a member of the Reed College Mock Trial team and hopes to pursue a career in public interest law. Art is also one of Simon’s most important pastimes. His paintings, prints, and zines have been shown at various student-organized art shows as well as the Shafranski Art Foundation’s 2024 exhibition in Downtown LA. More recently, his poem was published in the Reed College Creative Review magazine. 

In 2024, Simon became a Youth Ambassador for Queer History with One Institute. His final project involved researching archival materials from LGBTQ+ legal cases to create a zine about queer court victories. Unearthing records of the first individual to obtain a legal gender marker change without proof of gender-affirming surgery, he delved into the life of intersex pioneer Lynn Edward Harris. Simon hopes to continue sharing underrepresented histories through art, and is especially interested in zines. 

Simon hopes to use art as an educational tool through his internship work with One Institute. When not viewing or creating art, Simon likes walking in the forest, reading poetry, and discovering new restaurants.