The Invercargill woman said she did not remember a time when she did not fight when there was an injustice.
"I would say it’s a gift of having ADHD ... we don’t tend to stop until we think that justice has been served, so from a young age, I sought that," she said.
"And then as I’ve aged, my knowledge, experience and those perspectives on justice have changed — but seeking that justice hasn’t."
She had been advocating for what she believed in since primary school, joining the Invercargill City Youth Council at 12 and being a youth MP, speaking in Parliament House at 18 on the mental health issues Southland faces.
Rangatahi and mental health have been subjects she has championed throughout the region — from her volunteer work with charities to sharing her own hardships.
Last Thursday night, that passion and fight was recognised when she was announced as one of the "YWCA Y25", a list which acknowledges women under 25 who are fighting for better systems, communities and worlds.
Ms Carson is the first Southland recipient of the honour since the creation of the organisation’s programme four years ago.
"I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous.
"Purely because it is a really big honour and I don’t know, I just feel like I wish I saw more people from Southland [there] and it’s quite a lot of pressure being the first person from Southland to make the list."
She hoped her nomination would inspire many others.
"There is always a stigma with young people, especially in Southland ...
"I hope this [acknowledgement] highlights that you can come back in your early 20s, that you can have a career and that you can impact Southland in the way you want to.
"It’s just having the confidence and knowing that it can happen for you."
She works as a community activator at the Invercargill City Council.
Ms Carson acknowledged that finding strength and personal confidence sometimes could be hard for young women, including herself.
However, she believed women should stick together and empower each other.
She learnt this from her mum, who was a 21-year-old single woman when Ms Carson was born.
Her mother inspired her to be more vocal and believe in herself.
She was not perfect — sometimes speaking too hard or when she should not.
However, the Invercargill woman tried daily to do her best and she was proud of what she achieved so far, trying to advocate and fight for a better future for the generations to come.
"I’ve made many mistakes, but the thing that’s most important to remember was to pick myself up after those.
"Learn from that [mistakes] and move on to make the change."
