From the president
Audrey DellaBarba, a junior at Saint Anselm College, is a student leader who is passionate about helping others engage in the civic process, especially youth and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. For the past two and a half years she has worked in a variety of programs that teach youth about local public policy and helping them create action plans for positive social change within their communities. The focus of the programs is empowerment and helping the students realize there is a role for them in the democratic process, even if they are not old enough to vote. She also volunteers to write letters to unregistered voters in typically underrepresented communities. In all of her efforts, she is hoping to help others find their passion and their voice.
Personal Statement
As someone who has been going to the polls with my mother since I was a kid, I’ve been exposed to the process and how important it was to exercise our right to vote and being educated on the issues that affect our community. But as I’ve gotten older, I realized how many of my peers feel like their voices don’t matter and that their votes would not impact an election. I knew I needed to do something so I began volunteering to write letters to unregistered voters in typically underrepresented communities. When the opportunity arose to teach high school students on local education policy and civic engagement, I immediately jumped at the chance. I’ve been working with high school students for over two years and youth civic engagement has become one of the greatest joys in my life. I had an internship in California this past summer working with high school students from all over the country to create community action plans and teach them about local public policy. Through these experiences, I have gained a deeper commitment to helping students realize how much of an impact they can have and how important they are to our democratic process.