Chardanay White
Montgomery County Community College
Chardanay White is a student at Montgomery County Community College with a passion for voter rights, educating youth voters about the political process, and lobbying for issues impacting our society. Chardanay is a current Liberal Studies student, who aspires to attend law school and work in Washington, D.C. Her passion for finding solutions to social issues, and for serving her community is apparent to all whom she encounters. On campus, she is an active member of the Environmental Sustainability, Archaeology and Anthropology, and Drama clubs, and serves on the Student Government Association as a student senator. Chardanay also founded a Next Gen Rising club on-campus to boost student voting engagement and participation. The passion and dedication that Chardanay has for voter rights and voter education is unique and admirable. Chardanay White is a thoughtful, committed citizen, and is well deserving of the 2018 Newman Civic Fellow Award.
Personal Statement
It was at the start of my sophomore year of college that I become involved with Next Gen America, which is a grassroots organization focused on getting the youth mobilized during elections. Joining this organization has helped hone my love politics and the electoral process. On-campus I have hosted information tables, as well as informed students in classes and student meeting areas of current politics and elections. Through this work, I have assisted hundreds of students in building their awareness of the past local election. Getting involved in politics was important to me because I've met numerous people who say "We can't change things." Having been raised to focus on issues related to civic engagement, I, personally, believe that everyone has an impact on our political environment. If youth can learn to understand the importance of their role in shifting the political climate, I think this could change the world for the next generation. Helping people to find their voice on political issues that matter to them has brought me joy, as well as allowed me to share my knowledge with others in finding their passion and joy with creating change in the community, state, and nation.
