I aim to tackle the dual need of student motivation and a lack of political participation/awareness. The pandemic has greatly impacted students across America. According to a national study conducted by Forbes’ research department, roughly 40% of American students are unmotivated in their current academic environment. As someone who enjoys school and sees a great value in education, I hope to provide a creative approach to learning with the goal of creating passionate, lifelong learners. Additionally, I believe, through no fault of our own, that our community is stifled by narrow perspectives. Holliston is a small, New England town, and by exposing students of all ages to diverse, global issues, we can work together to expand our perspectives and develop as global citizens. This two-pronged approach of finding creative approaches to learning and exposing students to a wide range of perspectives will likely spark their motivation and prompt them to use their newfound passion in school.

In terms of political participation, I aim to erase the societal notion that the individual is powerless to effectuate change. With the growing influence of mass-political parties and corporations, it is easy to forget the power each one of us has within, “the power of one.” Gathering data on political participation in Massachusetts through a Harvard study, I found that only 34-41% of the population is politically active. Although this number has increased over the years, it is staggeringly low. This data raised an important question: How can the youth (people under 18), become politically active without the right to vote? As a result, I developed the secondary purpose of my project: to provide students a voice to create positive change and advocate for issues they are passionate about.

Senior

• Published poet in Pratik: A Magazine of Contemporary Writing

• Passion for literature and politics

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills