Aileen Ida is an exceptionally motivated student who embodies the motto of Elizabethtown College: "Educate for Service." At a time when political tensions threaten to cripple our national life, Ms. Ida has repeatedly demonstrated her commitment to building bridges across these divides. She helped form a coalition of the College Democrats, College Republicans, and the campus libertarian Young Americans for Liberty to register voters, take voters to the polls on election day, and educate voters about the election.

Ms. Ida's commitment to fostering social and political change while maintaining relationships with those who disagree with her has been sorely tested and yet redeemed in the midst of a "personal identity" campaign that she organized. The previous close ties among campus political groups nearly disintegrated in the wake of heated discussion and virulent off-campus pressures on the Republicans and libertarians to denounce the College Democrats. Despite an extraordinarily tense situation on campus, Ms. Ida helped restore cooperation with her peers in a statement released to wide media attention. Ms. Ida's leadership helped heal the campus, reduced much of the negative social media attention, and demonstrated a civility that her elders in our nation's capital should emulate.