W-L High School Student Honored For Work As Co-Leader Of Gen Z Group

ARLINGTON, VA — The co-presidents of the Virginia Chapter of a Gen Z civic engagement group were honored this week at an awards ceremony in Richmond hosted by Voices for Virginia’s Children, a nonprofit group committed to improving the lives of young people.

Aaron Rafael Zevin-Lopez and Elijah Lee, co-presidents of the Virginia Chapter of Voters of Tomorrow (VOT-VA), received the 2023 AMPLIFY Award for a youth-led organization on Tuesday at the “Annual Voices for Virginia’s Children Gala” at the Science Museum of Virginia.

“I am honored that our team has been recognized by Voices for Virginia’s Children for our advocacy work in the Commonwealth,” Zevin-Lopez, an 11th grade student at Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington, said in a statement. “Young people have a real stake in decisions that are being made today. We have to make sure our voices are heard by decision makers.”

VOT-VA, founded in 2019, is a Gen Z and youth-focused advocacy organization that promotes democracy, civic engagement and political empowerment.

The Virginia chapter, along with the national group, conducts research to understand Gen Z’s position on a range of issues, then uses this data to guide their public and behind-the-scenes advocacy campaigns. The group also develops and promotes initiatives to encourage Gen Z to vote for pro-democracy candidates.

Along with receiving their Amplify Award for their work with VOT-VA, Lee and Zevin-Lopez, a full International Baccalaureate candidate at W-L, participated in a panel discussion at Tuesday's event highlighting their group’s work and accomplishments.

Among the Virginia chapter's accomplishments over the past year and a half is organizing regular webinars and teach-ins for members with elected officials and policy leaders on key issues facing Gen Z in Virginia, including immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, education policy, and safeguarding elections.

The chapter also has helped to organize student protests across Virginia against efforts to marginalize LGBTQ+ students and overturn abortion protections. The members also have worked to oppose book banning and efforts by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to ban the teaching of “divisive concepts,” such as the history of the civil rights movement, in Virginia classrooms.

Other VOT-VA programs have included raising money to purchase and give away hundreds of copies of Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” and Art Spiegelman’s “Maus,” two of the most challenged books across the U.S., to Virginia high school students.

Lee, a sophomore at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School in Richmond, said the Virginia Chapter of Voters of Tomorrow appreciates the recognition from Voices for Virginia’s Children.

“Young people will play an increasingly important role in elections across Virginia and the nation. VOT-VA will continue doing all we can to get folks civically engaged and fighting for the issues important to our generation,” he said.