Rebekah Bolser
Miami University
Since arriving at Miami University in 2014, Rebekah Bolser has served as the Executive Director of Seat At the Table (SEAT), where she coordinates civic education initiatives across the United States. Founded in response to the low youth turnout of 2014, SEAT seeks to build platforms for young people in local and state governments through hands on civic education programs, collaborative partnerships, and community organizing and events, such as the annual Seat At the Table summit. As Executive Director, Rebekah oversees the day to day efforts of the organization, including strategic planning, fundraising, curriculum development, and partnership management. In addition to pursuing this important civic leadership endeavor and two demanding degree programs in political science and strategic communication, Rebekah has been involved in a variety of other initiatives, including assisting with the campus It's On Us campaign, UNICEF, Bundles of Joy Philippines Relief, Femellennials and Math is Music. She has also written for Huffington Post, Student Voice, GenYNot, and Progress Women.
Personal Statement
From the time I was very young, I've felt an incredible urge to connect with my surrounding community. This passion had taken me around the world, working with nonprofits and speaking at the United Nations. My experiences at Miami University founding Seat At the Table, have helped me to harness my ambition and find the focus I need to create tangible change, not only on campus, but beyond. Starting Seat At the Table has given me the opportunity to see how intricately our lives our connected and how we might use those connections to build stronger communities. Working on campus with the Andrew Goodman Foundation and other student organizations has given me an understanding of how the student experience shapes future civic leaders and the roles we can all play in promoting civic engagement and leadership at the individual and institutional level. I'm so grateful for everything I've learned and for the opportunity to impact my community, and I hope to continue to use these experiences and my community engagement skills to continue my work at the local and national level throughout my time at Miami University and after.
