BSOS Students Share Their Takeaways from Youth VoteFest in Chicago

Four undergraduates in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences spent the late summer getting inspired and excited about the upcoming presidential election at Youth VoteFest in Chicago, a unique opportunity of the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics and the Students Learn Students Vote (SLSV) coalition to engage hundreds of young voters during the Democratic National Convention (DNC).

The students were able to attend due to their participation in the Laufer Democracy Internship program. The inaugural program, funded by Marsha Zlatin Laufer ’64 and Henry Laufer, is part of the nonpartisan, interdisciplinary Maryland Democracy Initiative (MDI). The MDI—which is funded by a Grand Challenges Impact Award—combines expertise from the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, College of Education, Philip Merrill College of Journalism and School of Public Policy to encourage civic participation and tackle threats to democracy.

Sophomore social data science and public policy double major Javier Fuentes said that what stood out to him was a strong passion among the attendees to enact change.

“The combination of drive and compassion by the community of organizers around me was inspiring, as we were all advocating for a common cause in what can otherwise feel like isolating or thankless work,” he said, adding that a diverse array of issues were discussed. “At the end of the day, we’re all fighting for the needs of communities we care about.” 

Junior government and politics major Laiba Nisar also attended Youth VoteFest She said that the experience with politicians, advocates and other political leaders “inspired and heightened my self-awareness as a youth leader representing the Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander community.”

"The atmosphere in Chicago felt hopeful, reminding us that our democracy is still strong and that our voices matter, regardless of our background, race, or ethnicity,” she added. 

Junior economics and theater double major Medhanit Desta said that she enjoyed the opportunity to listen to the Youth VoteFest speakers, which included U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigeg, Tennessee Rep. Justin J. Pearson, and Illinois Rep. Delia Ramirez. 

“The event was empowering and helped educate and inspire us for the work ahead,” she said. 

Jahnavi Rao—a senior fellow in the Department of Government and Politics' Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement and the president and founder of New Voters, a national 501(c)3 that has civically activated over 80,000 high school students in 39 states and 400+ high schools—was also a featured speaker at Youth VoteFest. 

This article was written by Sofia Appolonio, JOUR '26. The photos were provided by the undergraduates.

Published on Tue, Oct 8, 2024 - 10:26AM