Elizabeth Anusauskas
University of Massachusetts DartmouthElizabeth Anusauskas, a political science and economics major is a student/scholar, passionate about strengthening our democracy. For the last two years she has been sharing her energy, time and talents leading students to understand ballot issues and vote. In the Fall of 2018 she successfully led the new voters project and democracy campaign that resulted in over 550 students registering to vote with an increase in voter turnout at the local polls by 58%. Elizabeth is now working to make a difference in our community on social justice issues ranging from prison reform to the environment and to bring the UMass Dartmouth campus together for future elections.
Personal Statement
I believe in the power of student voices and the impact that young people can have when they make themselves heard. Voting is a fundamental aspect of American democracy and the consistently low turnout rates for college-age students to their polling stations incentivizes me to continue to educate students. During the 2018 midterm election, I worked with an organization to register college students to vote, teach other students how to register their peers, and lead people towards nonpartisan sources of information. This work didn't end after November 6th. After the election I mapped out a plan for a democracy campaign that is being run this semester to make sure people stayed engaged in local and state politics. Encouraging students to share their ideas and opinions with the world has been my passion since it was instilled in me that casting my ballot every election can truly make a difference. I believe in the power of small actions and voting and staying engaged in local community issues is the first step in everyone's process of making a difference on Earth.