Shenandoah University student Liberty Tennyson ’25 has been selected for the 2023 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) announced.
The ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll awards college students for doing outstanding work to advance nonpartisan democratic engagement at participating campuses. Tennyson, who is triple-majoring in political science, history and global studies, 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.
As voter engagement coordinator for our Center for Civic Engagement, Liberty has worked all year creating strategies to encourage students not only to vote, but also to advocate for what they are passionate about. From setting up information tables in the student center and at sporting events to giving out pizza and ice cream, she has reached out to her fellow students in many ways to share information about how, when, where and why to vote.”
Rebecca Gibson, Shenandoah University’s director of civic engagement
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. 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.”
Liberty Tennyson ’25
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. With the support of the ALL IN staff, campuses that join the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge complete a set of action items to institutionalize nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement and voter participation on their campus. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge currently engages more than 9.8 million students from more than 965 institutions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
“This year’s honorees played a crucial part in registering and empowering student voters ahead of last year’s midterm elections, resulting in historic turnout among young voters. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is honored to celebrate hundreds of student leaders encouraging nonpartisan democratic engagement across the country,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “These students organized voter registration drives, coordinated campus-wide voter engagement resources and brought polling locations to their campuses. We are excited to watch these students continue to change the world.”
About ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. Through an intentionally-designed program that provides structure, support, and recognition, ALL IN works to improve civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation on more than 965 campuses nationwide. ALL IN believes higher education should play a role in developing an active and informed citizenry by educating students, motivating them to engage in American democracy, and instilling the value of lifelong participation. ALL IN is an initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Learn more at allinchallenge.org.
