Occupier of the Day: Carrie Medina

Name: Carrie Medina

Age: 28

Occupation: Editor at a social media company

Tenure at Occupy Portland: Camping since day one

Otherwise lives in: Southwest Portland

Her favorite political thinker: Ron Paul

Her contribution to the camp: Medina is one of many Occupy volunteers who maintain the Portland movement’s Facebook, Twitter and Wiki pages. She also acts as spokesperson, speaking with national and independent media outlets.

Why she’s Occupying Portland: Medina is a libertarian and a fiscal conservative. “This isn’t a liberal movement."

She's earned three bachelor's degrees from Portland State University; her studies ranged from psychology and sociology to biology and chemistry. But her experience studying abroad and her struggles after the economic crash in 2008 attracted her to the Occupy movement.

As a student in Europe she found her health care was entirely covered. “My year in Germany really affected how I felt as far as health care is concerned." In the United States, she said, she landed in the hospital with an infected finger and faced a $30,000 bill—with only $1,100 covered by her student health insurance. She negotiated with her doctors to lower the bill to $13,000. “Today I’m debt free because I gave them every cent I made."

Her experience at Occupy Portland: “It’s been a mixed bag.” She likes the community and working with the communications team, but there are some campers who aren’t there to protest. “We’re working 20 hours a day, and they’re hurting our image."