|
But Kayden emphasizes that SVJ's contribution is greater than that. She says that potential supporters should appreciate “not only the impact that the organization has on potential voters, but also on the students themselves, because we're learning so much about how we can help our country and the world.”
Now a senior at North Carolina A&T and Attorney General of the Student Government Association, Kayden is responsible for civic engagement across her campus. She began her SVJ journey as an entry-level Political Organizer in her sophomore year—her first political internship—and quickly rose through the ranks, serving as a Team Manager and then Senior Team Manager, each time promoted for her outstanding leadership.
Kayden has found the skills she gained through SVJ invaluable. “When I first started, I didn't understand all the different aspects of political organizing, especially the importance of marketing. Now, when I'm using social media to get people to the polls, I'm remembering what I learned from Students for Voting Justice about how to make content relatable and understandable.”
Additionally, through recruiting volunteers for SVJ's postcard-writing campaigns, Kayden learned how to mobilize people to take action. As a result, “I’ve been able to help with March to the Polls and voter registration events,” she says.
SVJ’s leadership development workshops also left a lasting mark. At the same time that she became an SVJ Senior Team Manager, Kayden was elected president of the Political Science Society on campus. She says, “In SVJ I was learning how to lead groups, how to create agendas, how to make sure that a meeting is efficient. And I was taking what I was learning and implementing it in my executive board meetings. I take that with me even now as the [Student Government Association] Attorney General. I preside over 10 students on the Student Judicial Council. I create my agendas before the meeting every single time and I make sure that we're in by this time, out by this time, because you want to respect people's schedules. Those lessons were very, very helpful for me.”
But SVJ does more than build skills; it opens doors. According to Kayden, “Students for Voting Justice has been exceptionally helpful in getting other opportunities, because It shows that I have those basic political organizing skills that I built as a sophomore, but also that I was able to grow and take on higher leadership roles.”
After graduation, Kayden plans to move home to Atlanta and work for a year or two while she applies to law school. Everyone at Students for Voting Justice is cheering her on. We know she will do great things!
Kayden’s journey shows how Students for Voting Justice transforms students, empowering them to strengthen our democracy while growing as leaders. Your support makes that possible.
Please consider making a gift today to help more students like Kayden find their voices — and use them for justice.
| 
