A Hartland High School grad has been recognized for her efforts at promoting democracy.
Shenandoah University student Liberty Tennyson was selected for the 2023 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll, which awards college students for doing outstanding work to advance nonpartisan democratic engagement at participating campuses.
Tennyson, a 2021 grad of Hartland High School, joins a group of 175 students recognized for their voter registration, education and turnout efforts ahead of last year’s historic midterm elections. The 2022 midterm elections saw one of the highest youth turnout rates for a midterm election in the past 40 years – an estimated 23% of young people ages 18 to 29 turned out to vote.
Tennyson’s outreach efforts over the past school year included coordinating rides to local polling sites for fellow students during the early voting period, assisting students with mail-in ballots, presenting and providing voter registration information in Shenandoah’s First-Year Seminar classes, assisting the American Association of University Women with its candidate forum in October, hosting a local candidate for a presentation and Q&A session for students and community members, and coordinating an Election Day celebration on Shenandoah’s main campus.
“I am honored to be recognized for the work I do on campus,” said Tennyson. “Voter education is a big passion of mine. My belief is that educated voters can make a difference in policymaking. We as college students are in charge of the next generation. It is up to us to make change happen, and the first step toward change is being a well-informed voter.”
In addition to the ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll inclusion, Tennyson was awarded the Shenandoah University Emerging Leader of the Year award last week and was appointed to the Campus Voter Project Virginia state board.
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. ALL IN is an initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
