This year, as a part of the Isabella Cannon Leadership Fellows program, I went on a trip to study the Civil Rights Movement through the Deep South. On the trip, I learned about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the fight for voting rights in our country.

It breaks my heart that voter registration is a fight many people in our country struggled to win and many other countries still fight for every day. Despite winning this fight though, so many young people decide not to vote. It is such a privilege to be citizens of a country that wants to hear our voices, yet we decide not to use them. It really frustrates me, and frankly, drives me a little crazy.

Last spring, I got an email from Steve Mencarini, the director for the Center for Leadership and the Leadership Fellows program, about potentially joining the future team of Elon Votes!.

The position called for being the hands and feet of the new organization. If you are unfamiliar, the Elon Votes! campaign is a nonpartisan initiative created to provide students with the necessary resources to register to vote.

In all honesty, my first thought was, “Wow, how great would that look on a resume for law school!” I quickly applied and during the interview I acted like I knew everything there was to know about civic engagement. My acting paid off and I got the job, but boy, was I wrong. I had so much to learn.

Civic engagement is so much more than voting. It is fostering community and improving participation within that community. After even a semester and a half of working for Elon Votes!, I never believed I would find the passion I have toward voter registration and civic engagement on our college’s campus.

For a little more background information, June Shuler and I were hired as Andrew Goodman Foundation Ambassadors last April. In honor of Andrew Goodman, an activist killed during Freedom Summer, the Andrew Goodman Foundation Ambassadors serve to inspire young people to get involved and register to vote.

June and I have had the opportunity to hold College Coffee tables, be a part of the Organization Fair, host Moseley tables, speak to classes and organizations and host monthly forums with faculty and staff. We were even invited to attend the North Carolina Campus Compact conference at Wake Forest University to talk about what we have been doing on Elon’s campus with regard to voting.

Much to our surprise, this year has gone overwhelmingly well. Elon Votes! has definitely become a presence on Elon’s campus, and students have been having awesome conversations about candidates and voting. We have been able to register several hundred students to vote and in general we feel that Elon is excited for the fall presidential election.

Prior to this experience I would have told you, “Hi, my name is Gabby and this is who I am voting for, you should vote for him (or her) too, here’s why.” Now I start conversations with, “Are you registered to vote?” Civic engagement is so important, especially for young people.

I can’t say it enough: We need to start voting now so 20 years from now we will have the habit of voting instilled. I would say that my biggest hope for the future of Elon Votes! is that we draw away from, “Who are you voting for?” and start asking, “Are you even registered to vote?” I can promise you, you have at least one friend that is not registered. If you simply encourage them to utilize their right, you are already making a difference.