From the president
Merna Mousa, a senior Political Science major at the University of Mary Washington, works to support student civic engagement and access to voting. Her work with UMW Votes and several national organizations has helped her support voter education, registration, and mobilization on the University of Mary Washington campus. As a member of the nonpartisan UMW Votes program, Merna helped plan and implement several civic engagement initiatives on the UMW campus including National Voter Registration Day, Vote Early Day, class visits to talk about voting, and tabling on Campus Walk to provide information about early voting and voting as a college student. Merna is also an honors scholar and works as a Resident Assistant for UMW’s Department of Residence Life and Housing. In her years at UMW, Merna has demonstrated the motivation and potential for long-term civic engagement, and she continues to support her fellow UMW students on their civic journey.
Personal Statement
I have always been interested in the ways our government benefits or disadvantages people. I always knew that voting was the first and simplest course of action to take if you are displeased with the way things are going politically, and I knew I wanted to do something to help people who do not have the resources or support around them to vote. I first started to work in the world of civic engagement by volunteering with UMW Votes, a campus-wide organization focused on creating an inclusive atmosphere around voting and providing support for students during their civic journey. Through UMW Votes, I began to partner with national organizations that allowed me to learn more about the costs people encounter when trying to vote and the work being done to lower the costs of voting to raise the number of voters around the country. I have and will continue to use the resources and knowledge around me to help those who need extra support and assistance in our community.