In 2016 I was introduced to Star Trek for the first time. Not long after I came across Star Trek: Voyager and was completely captivated by the character of Seven of Nine introduced in season 4 and played by the immensely talented Jeri Ryan.

Introduced on September 3, 1997 in the second part of "Scorpion", Seven of Nine was introduced as a Borg drone who spoke on behalf of the Borg Collective for Captain Janeway during their battle with Species 8472. Seven was originally Annika Hansen, a young human female who accompanied her scientist (and quite frankly, reckless) parents aboard the USS Raven to study The Borg. Eventually all three were assimilated and Annika would emerge as a Borg Drone. When Seven went to betray Captain Janeway and assimilate Voyager, Commander Chakotay personally severed Seven from The Borg and saw her memories ("our minds are one"). This event would forever change Seven's life. For the next four seasons, Seven would learn to eat, sleep, speak and reclaim her individuality. She would go on to be an incredibly gifted astrophysicist aboard Voyager, claiming refuge in her Astrometrics Lab. Seven was also given the responsibility of taking care of four children freed from The Borg Collective, along with her enduring sister-like friendship with Naomi Wildman. Captain Janeway gave Seven both motherly love and discipline  which taught Seven how to think, while The Doctor patiently taught Seven to have manners and social lessons. She learned to dance and sing and experience human life after years of serving a callous collective. She survived re-capture by The Borg and showed her strength as an independent individual fighting the Borg Queen. By the final season of Voyager, Seven experienced love for the first time finding solace with the man who broke her from The Borg, Chakotay. We additionally saw her experiment with different hairstyles and clothing, truly exploring her identity as she had been denied that throughout her childhood and teen years. At the end of Voyager, Seven proved to be the most helpful, important and efficient outsider any Star Trek series had added. Of course I could go on about her character’s growth and more aspects but I would like to add that Seven became a survivor who let her past trauma make her stronger and bolder, never stooping to her enemies level. Seven of Nine had a unique grace and perseverance that made her one of the greatest characters in not only Star Trek, but science fiction history. In other words, she learned how to BECOME a human while existing in a human body. No other Star Trek character had ever experienced such a feat.

For me, watching Seven on Voyager truly helped me as I finished high-school. Seeing her overcome hardships was very inspiring to me - as it paralleled many things and past events I had deeply embedded in my life. Like her I was a trauma survivor and during some very dim situations, isolation, bullying and lack of self-confidence, she was a character that made me feel seen and heard. I was facing a large roadblock during this time, as I was met with constant upheaval and stress. Seeing how confident, brave, and beautiful Seven was gave me a fire inside my spirit not to give up. I drew much strength from her then, and I continue to do so now post-college. There was a specific scene from the episode "One Small Step" that particularly spoke to me and that was when Chakotay and Seven were talking about their childhood aspirations. Eventually Chakotay coaxed a timid Seven into telling him what she wanted to be and that was a ballerina - the exact profession I wanted and eventually became. For the last 29 years, Seven of Nine has been a beacon of light for trauma survivors, individuals on the autism spectrum, minority and marginalized  communities and everyday people who were able to have a connection with an outsider who became the heart and soul of the USS Voyager. 

As we celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Star Trek franchise and eventually look forward to celebrating 30 Years of Seven of Nine in 2027, I humbly ask my fellow Star Trek fans to sign this petition to make Seven of Nine Day official. If Captain Kirk, Captain Janeway, and Captain Sisko can have official holidays within the fandom, I believe Seven of Nine deserves one too.  What more fitting than to have her holiday on the 7th day of the 9th month? 

Please sign this petition and help make Seven of Nine Day official!