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Our Vote Everywhere Ambassadors’ passion shines through every day in the work they do for The Andrew Goodman Foundation. When our Ambassadors register voters on their campuses, they show their energy. When they tackle systemic voting barriers, they demonstrate tenacity. When they plan events to inspire their fellow students, they display leadership.

We’re not the only ones who notice these outstanding characteristics in our young leaders. Many of our campus partners and other organizations have recognized our Vote Everywhere Ambassadors for their community contributions this year.

One Ambassador, Yemi Olaiya of Allegheny College, recently won the Student Prize for Civility in Public Life. The students and faculty nominating Yemi emphasized her “careful and critical thinking about student political engagement as a catalyst to understand racial history and the legacy of underlying tensions in communities.” Vote Everywhere Campus Champion Andrew Blouser noted, “The opportunity to be involved with AGF helped her gain practical experience and recognition for the value of her work.”

Ambassador Adam Reynolds of University of Chicago, Human Rights scholarship recipient, feels the support of AGF has encouraged him to take risks when trying new things. According to Adam, the most important lesson he’s learned through his work with Vote Everywhere is that to succeed, you have to “put yourself out there and not be afraid to fail.” He’ll carry this knowledge with him this summer as he uses his grant funding to work on a police accountability project for the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative in New Delhi, India.

Vote Everywhere Ambassadors are leaders on their campuses, and The Andrew Goodman Foundation works to nurture their leadership skills. Joanna Woodson, our Vote Everywhere Team Leader at Western Carolina University and Newman Civic Fellow, credits Vote Everywhere with shaping her into a strong leader. She says, “The architecture of the program provides mentorship, funding, and training in a way that most people do not get to take advantage of elsewhere. This really is a one-of-a-kind program that I am so thankful to be part of, as I know for certain I would not have been selected as a Newman Fellow without the guidance of AGF.” Joanna loves to share her Vote Everywhere experience at every opportunity, because, as she says, “it has shaped the trajectory of my life, and for that I am so incredibly grateful.”

Vote Everywhere is growing a generation of civic leaders. Our Ambassadors are talented, bright students, and with the guidance of the Vote Everywhere program, they are preparing to change the world.