March 16, 2026

Kyla Holton was a sophomore at North Carolina A&T University when she joined Students for Voting Justice as an intern in 2022. The leadership and organizing skills she developed during the program helped launch a series of opportunities in public service.

This week, she begins a full-time position as a Regional Impact Director with the North Carolina Democratic Party’s Coordinated Campaign.

Research shows that people who begin voting when they are young are more likely to become lifelong voters.

We believe the same is true of civic leadership. Young people who begin organizing early are more likely to become lifelong participants and leaders in our democracy.

Kyla Holton is a powerful example of how a Students for Voting Justice internship can launch a civic leader.

In her new role, Kyla will connect with community organizations, grassroots groups, coalitions, and local leaders to help elect Democrats across the state. The position also involves recruiting, training, and managing interns and volunteers, skills she first developed with SVJ. As she looks ahead to the coming year, Kyla says, “It will probably be the most exhausting year I've had, but also the most fulfilling.”

Her work will take place in one of the most closely watched states in the country. Students for Voting Justice will also be focusing our 2026 organizing efforts on North Carolina, along with Georgia.

Our interns will reach hundreds of thousands of voters with nonpartisan get-out-the-vote outreach in North Carolina and Georgia. With U.S. Senate seats on the ballot in both states, the 2026 election will be enormously important for the future of the country. Voter turnout among youth and Black voters is certain to play a decisive role in determining the outcome.

Kyla shared this triumphant post in 2022.

Kyla explains that SVJ was a crucial first step toward her current position:

“The internship was the first time I organized people. I had to get volunteers together, organize postcard parties, and lead activities. That pushed me outside my comfort zone. It truly built my leadership skills. When something goes wrong, you're responsible. You're the person people look to for solutions.”

Through her work with SVJ, Kyla also came to appreciate how the actions of ordinary individuals can make a real difference through organizing and voter outreach.

“Even a small postcard encouraging someone to vote can matter,” she says. “When someone sees a handwritten message from a college student encouraging them to vote, it feels personal.”

For Kyla, the internship also helped clarify her long-term goals. She plans to attend law school and pursue a career focused on civic engagement and community empowerment.

“I still don't know exactly what kind of law I'll practice,” she says. “But I know I want to do something that uplifts communities and shows people they have power in their vote.”

Kyla is grateful to the donors who made her participation in SVJ possible. As a college student, she needed a paying job, and the SVJ internship allowed her to do meaningful work while earning money.

“The stipend helped me with college expenses, and the internship gave me community and meaningful experience,” she says. “A donation to SVJ is a direct investment in the next generation. People sometimes criticize our generation, but when you give us the right resources and opportunities, we deliver.”

"People sometimes criticize our generation, but when you give us the right resources and opportunities, we deliver.”

Support from SVJ donors like you helped launch a young leader whose work will now empower and mobilize communities across North Carolina.

There are many more students like Kyla who are ready to step forward as organizers and leaders if they are given the opportunity.

We hope you will consider renewing your support today.

With continued hope for our democracy,

Claire Ullman & Sandra Radoff

Co-Directors