CLC Student Senate Recognized By National Coalition for Nonpartisan Student Voter Engagement

The Central Lakes College Student Senate has been recognized by a national coalition for its nonpartisan student voter engagement. 

The Students Learn Students Vote (SLSV) Coalition, a nonpartisan network of more than 400 national, state, and local organizations dedicated to growing the student vote, recognized CLC student leaders recently during its annual Post-Election Gathering. The three-day event featured speaking appearances by US Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education Dr. Nasser H. Paydar and Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement Hannah Bristol.

At the gathering, 11 exemplary organizations were honored for their extraordinary, nonpartisan efforts to make voting easier, more accessible, and more equitable for college students in their communities and throughout the US.

The CLC Student Senate received the 2022 SLSV Award for Making Democracy Fun and Celebratory. Student leaders were honored for their work hosting a wide range of voter engagement activities in the run-up to the 2022 midterms, including mobile voter registration efforts at New Student Orientation Day, a “Rock the Vote” event featuring live music, and a “Puppy to the Polls” event that, in collaboration with a local animal rescue facility, brought puppies to campus so that students could interact and take pictures with the dogs as they registered to vote.

“The Central Lakes College Student Senate has increasingly put special emphasis on educating their peers about civic responsibility and the importance of voting,” CLC President Dr. Hara Charlier said. “They’ve approached this work with enthusiasm and passion for making our college and our communities strong and vibrant. We are very proud of these student leaders, and can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the future.”

Erich Heppner, Director of Student Life, added, “The CLC Student Senate has a long tradition of being civically minded. Each election year, our student leaders gear up to ensure that their fellow students have every opportunity to make their voices heard. I have had the good fortune of being able to advise many phenomenal student leaders throughout eight election cycles, but none have been as collectively brilliant and hard-working as this year’s Student Senate. They deserve this recognition, and I am incredibly proud of them.”

Angelina Schultz, Brainerd Student Senate President, added, “We really focused on making voting fun for students and creating a positive experience that would translate into lifetime voters.”

Nonpartisan student voter engagement has earned the Central Lakes College Student Senate recognition by a national coalition. The nonpartisan network of more than 400 organizations, called Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, is dedicated to expanding student voter participation. During the Coalition’s recent 3 day annual event, CLC was honored for their efforts to make voting easier, more accessible & more equitable. The CLC Student Senate received the 2022 SLSV Award for Making Democracy Fun and Celebratory. CLC engaged students in several innovative ways, including a Rock the Vote event that featured music and a Puppy to the Polls event, which partnered with a local animal rescue to bring puppies to campus for students to interact with while registering to vote. They also held a mobile voter registration event on orientation day. Ten other organizations were also honored.