Marin County Star Students Are Committed To Civic Engagement

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Star Students are found in classrooms, on concert and theater stages and at debate lecterns, and out in the community doing good things to make life better for all of us.

Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize Star Students, and we’re working to tell the stories of these outstanding kids to their neighbors.

This submission comes from Pamela Cook who nominated Alysha, 11th Grade and Ella, 12th Grade.

Star local student’s name

Alysha, 11th Grade and Ella, 12th Grade

Star local student’s home state

California

How do you know the star local student?

Alysha and Ella are Marin Student Elections Ambassadors and serve as student representatives on its steering committee. I also serve on the steering committee. The program, known as SEAP, is sponsored by the Marin County Elections Department, the League of Women Voters of Marin County, and the Marin County Office of Education.

Why do you believe the star local student should be recognized?

Alysha and Ella are stars! As the two student members of the Marin County Student Elections Ambassador Program (SEAP) Steering Committee (comprised of representatives of the Marin County Elections Department and the League of Women Voters of Marin County), they participate in regular strategy meetings, provide advice and perspective from students, assist in zoom training sessions for new elections ambassadors, and develop plans to engage and retain 35 student ambassadors from 10 schools. The objectives of the program, which is student-led, are to have students develop strategies to register and pre-register their peers, and in so doing, highlight the importance of youth engagement and participation in the elections process. Alysha and Ella are both in their second year as elections ambassadors. In 2021, Ella organized a voter registration and education drive at her school where more than 300 students registered or preregistered. That year, she also ran the Marin Teen Girl Conference voter registration table with Alysha. In 2022, Ella worked with other ambassadors at her school to run week-long classroom and education workshops, which registered or preregistered 300 students. Ella participated in a League of Women Voters interview with Assemblymember Damon Connolly. In 2021, Alysha ran the voter registration table with Ella at the Marin Teen Girl Conference. In 2022, Alysha collaborated with another ambassador to give a voter presentation at a local elementary school by providing a short video for the event. Alysha also conceived of and organized a voter registration and education table at the Marin Farmer's Market, where she spoke with more than 50 individuals. Both Alysha and Ella collaborated with other ambassadors to organize a table at the Marin City Martin Luther King Day. Ella and Alysha are currently planning a first time ever April 2023 Marin County Town Hall which will be open to all Marin County high school and college students and which will feature a panel with mayors invited from each city in Marin County.

What's one thing you want everyone to know about the star local student?

Both Alysha and Ella are committed to civic engagement and engaging other students in the elections process.

Congratulations on your achievements, and all of our best wishes to you in the future, Alysha and Ella!

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Know an outstanding student?

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