From the president
Jakob Burdick has a planned 4+1 major in Political Science with a Masters in Public Administration. At the end of his first year, Jakob was awarded a competitive summer internship through the Ethics and Leadership Initiative to work in the office of the Mayor of Dayton. In this role, working directly with Mayor Mims and with his senior aide, Jakob helped craft the Mayor’s Youth Commission, helped plan the Mayor’s Annual Youth Summit, sat in on meetings with community leaders and elected officials, and helped the Community Engagement staff canvass Dayton residential neighborhoods to spread awareness of the Mayor’s town halls. As a Dayton Civic Scholar at the University of Dayton, Jakob and his peers attend a weekly community learning and leadership seminar that develops students as civic leaders by training them in reciprocal community engagement practices. They also complete 60 community engagement hours each semester supporting neighborhood associations, government and semi-government organizations, and nonprofit organizations. Jakob is also involved in UD Votes and has been nominated for a leadership role for the next academic year. UD Votes is a student-led initiative that encourages voter and civic engagement on campus and is connected to the larger national initiative Vote Everywhere.
Personal Statement
I have long been interested in the voting process as a fundamental element of our democratic system. During my high school AP US Government class, I was shocked to realize that not everyone has the same opportunity to cast their ballot due to polling places being changed, differing registration deadlines, differing rules regarding absentee ballots (severely hurting the college electorate), and more. This lit a fire under me; inspiring me to become a voting advocate in my community. I have focused on educating others through talks, volunteering for campaigns, and going door to door to inform residents of upcoming elections. I have carried this passion into my studies and co-curricular involvement at the University of Dayton, where I am a member of multiple civic engagement groups on campus. Through this involvement, I help inform students about elections, and I participate in discussions with community members and leaders about how college students may best work with community partners to combat systemic challenges. In the future, I hope to continue to serve as an advocate for voting rights and civic engagement, and I plan to devote my work as a Newman Civic Fellow to this cause.