From the president
Giulia Matteucci is a junior at Lafayette College majoring in Government & Law and Psychology. She serves as the research design lead on a project in Prof. Andrew Clarke’s Gov Lab studying recruiting techniques for political volunteers. She also applies these interests in her student leadership in groups focused on increasing the participation of women and young people in the electoral process and in civic engagement, including Lafayette Votes!, Bi-Partisan Coalition, and the Women’s Network. Giulia believes that involving all voices and collaborating across divides is the best way to generate inclusive, just policies.
Personal Statement
This year, I have focused on breaking barriers within the Lafayette College community. I established a chapter of an organization called The Women’s Network (TWN), which focuses on creating a safe space for women and non-binary students on campus to network and develop their professional/ leadership skills. Additionally, I became the social media consultant for Lafayette Votes!, an organization run by students and faculty focused on educating students on the voting process and increasing turnout. The missions of both organizations align with my lifetime goal of increasing participation of women and youth voters in all aspects of the civic process. I believe that by increasingly including these two groups’ participation in the civic process, issues that directly and indirectly impact them will be more adequately addressed. For instance, a huge obstacle for women is childcare. In 2022, women are more likely to be mothers now than ever as 86% over 40 have children (Pew Research). Yet, only 6% of the House of Representatives are mothers with minors (Vote Mama). Having children is only one of the many barriers women face in getting involved civically and running for office. Addressing social issues begins by changing who represents us in public office.