A social activist told a crowd at the University of Wisconsin Thursday the answer to poverty is not the welfare state.

Hosted by College Republicans, Star Parker, president and founder of the nonprofit organization Coalition for Urban Renewal and Education, spoke to students about how she “cheated the system” of government funded welfare but eventually emerged from a life of crime to advocate change and voice her story to millions around the world.

Parker said her job as a social policy consultant entails running a “think tank” to provide a voice of reason on issues of race and poverty through faith, freedom and personal responsibly, particularly reaching out to inner city neighborhoods where poverty is the most substantial.

“The government doesn’t have a caring mechanism; people have caring mechanisms,” Parker said. “The best thing is to have discussions in the country about freedom everyone deserves and to not close your minds to options.”

Before Parker became involved in social activism, she was a single mother living in poverty in Los Angeles who had to resort to crime to get by and found no other options but to abort four pregnancies.

“Growing up, I heard that America doesn’t have a place for [me],” Parker said. “It was very easy for me to get lost in criminal activity, drug activity and sex activity. I was in and out of the government’s so-called ‘safe and legal clinics.'”

Just before receiving her fifth abortion, Parker turned to religion to pull herself out of a “dark hole.” Parker then returned to college to receive a degree in marketing and start her own business.

Because of her experience with living in poverty, Parker says the greatest concern now is to think about the concept of the redistribution of wealth, focusing on the fact that 98 percent of those who are in poverty are women who feel like they are out of options.

“My story is not a difficult or a long story; it is a story that can happen to anybody,” Parker said. “If we want to break out of the cycle, we need to think more deeply about what we have been doing. $400 million a year is spent by the government in the war on poverty and most don’t even know what programs are available. We cannot force people to get out of poverty; incentives must be made and regulations should be removed.”

College Republicans Chair Sara Mikolajczak said she feels Parker’s story sends a unique message everyone should hear.

“Here on campus, things Parker commented on are really pertinent, especially with the abortion clinic going up,” Mikolajczak said. “I don’t think a lot of people who are pro-choice really realize the traumatic effects it can have.”

Mikolajczak said other campus groups disagreed with Parker’s stance and ideals, refusing to co-sponsor the event. For example, Mikolajczak said the director of the Women’s Studies Research Center said the presentation was not something scholars should be supporting.