Prathm Juneja
University of Notre DamePrathm Juneja, a third year student at the University of Notre Dame, is an outstanding student leader with unique capacity to integrate his political science and computer science skills. In so doing, he promotes civic and political engagement both on campus and off campus, grounded in theory and research. His leadership in Student Government and commitment to strengthening community earned him respect from his peers, faculty, and administrators while working together to address controversial issues we face. Mr. Juneja draws upon his deep understanding of others, personal experiences, and classroom learning to create opportunities for his fellow students to practice civil discourse, advance voter education, and increase electoral turnout among students and local residents. We look forward to supporting Mr. Juneja as a Newman Civic Fellow as he pursues his goal of activating political and civic engagement to further the common good among our student body and in our local community.
Personal Statement
As the son of Indian immigrants, my parents always taught me that we, too, were American. This constant reminder of my unique story as a part of our greater national story drove me to grow passionate about civic engagement and politics. As a result, I have channeled much of my work into furthering that story for every American. At Notre Dame, I serve as the Student Government Chief of Staff, where my work is primarily focused on working with our 19 directors and 500+ staff members on issues including: innovation, diversity/inclusion, sexual assault, and community relations. Those same passions reflect in my work in the City of South Bend, where I have interned on various political campaigns and most recently served as an intern at the Mayor's Office of Innovation, combining my love for technology with a potential for civic good. This diverse set of work culminates in my passion for voter turnout and voting rights. I am driven by a desire to increase civic engagement and fight policies that attempt to hamper the fundamental American right to vote, particularly through activism in the campus registration/education organization: NDVotes, and through combined efforts with various political/community organizations.