Isabella Reed - The George Washington University
"Since arriving at GW, Isabella has been an active and engaged student leader on campus and in the community...Isabella has designed campus events and resources to encourage voter engagement and education, and she has recruited and engaged other students in becoming ambassadors for GW Votes...[She] has tremendous potential as a citizen leader, and she would benefit greatly from the opportunity to learn from and connect with leaders on other campuses and in the community. It is clear from her work thus far that she is committed to civic engagement and promoting equity."
Dr. Mark S. Wrighton
President, The George Washington University
Voter rights and education has long been a topic of importance to me. When I was a junior and senior in high school, I worked as an election judge, helping carry out polling place duties for local and national elections in my hometown. When I transitioned into college at the George Washington University, I wanted to continue this work in my new environment.
For the past school year, I’ve been able to work with a dynamic team at GW Votes, a nonpartisan coalition through GW’s service center. During the 2022 midterm elections, we hosted campus-wide programming, focused around civic holidays, for students to learn about voting, register to vote, and request their absentee ballots. In addition, we provided materials for students who had questions about voting or for faculty and staff to talk to students about voting. We strive to become a visible and accessible resource on campus for students to feel comfortable approaching if they have any questions about voting, or if they want to learn more about voting in this country.
Our work continues outside of election seasons, too. Now, we are focusing on working with other campus organizations and events to provide voter education materials. We also are expanding our network, by traveling to other college campuses and speaking about our work and bringing on student volunteers to learn how to talk about voting in a campus-wide, nonpartisan context. In general, GW Votes has allowed me to continue engaging with my community regarding a cause that is important to me, and the Mid-Atlantic Civic Fellowship would allow me to speak with and learn from others who find a passion in community engagement.
Isabella Reed
2023-2024 Transform Mid-Atlantic Civic Fellow