From the president
Harris Wallace is passionately committed to increasing civic literacy and voter engagement. At Mercer University, he organized an effective drive to recruit student organizations to promote voter registration and election participation, and Mercer was recognized for earning the highest student voter participation among schools in the Southern Conference. As a Newman Fellow, Harris intends to promote civic literacy and voter participation among high school students in Macon-Bibb County through a program based on “Action Civics” that engages students with local judges and politicians to discuss the issues that affect them directly. This type of engagement increases students’ involvement with local politics, which increases their likelihood to register to vote and to participate in their first election. People who vote earlier in life are much more likely to be consistently engaged with politics and to participate in civic life, so this program can lead to enduring political engagement. Effective democracy requires voter engagement, and Harris hopes to increase long-term democratic participation in America’s elections.
Personal Statement
My true passion has always been politics. First, I was intrigued by history–learning the politics of the past. Next, I was ensnared by campaigns–the politics of the present. Now, I am focused on civics–the politics of the future. How we educate the next generation about the government they will inherit and the democratic system that makes it possible will determine what our country looks like when they become its leaders. On Mercer University’s campus I have spent my collegiate career working to engage my peers with the urgent challenge of America’s experiment in democracy. Registering students to vote, informing them about the issues, and getting them to the polls made me realize that I can make an impact with my passion. Through a partnership between Bibb County judges and educators, my initiative, Macon Civics Matter seeks to create an action civics curriculum that puts high school students in conversation with the problems facing their communities. With the support of the Newman Civic Fellowship, I believe the politics of the future can start now.