Meet our PLV #PaceVotes Volunteers!
Every semester the CCAR in Pleasantville has a number of passionate volunteers and interns working with us on our #PaceVotes initiative. We’d like to introduce you to our current #PaceVotes volunteers – Emily Ambrocio and Jaida-Lee Colley. They are sophomore nursing majors and are working us to complete volunteer hours for their CE course. We recently asked them a few questions about what it has been like to work at the CCAR…
What have you been doing for the CCAR as #PaceVotes volunteers?
We have been making and hanging up posters around Kessel, Miller Hall, the Library, the Residence Halls. We have also been posting on the CCAR instagram. The flyers and posters we’ve made have informed Pace students how they can register to vote. Some don’t know where and how to register so it clears up questions they might have. We also believe social media plays a big part in #PaceVotes outreach because it persuades Pace students to vote and it raises awareness about how they can do so as students.
In Martin Hall, we knocked on student’s doors and asked them if they’re registered. We also set up a table in Kessel and Alumni Hall helping student’s register. All of this resulted in over 100 students registering to vote before the October 11th deadline!
Registering students to vote in Alumni
Both of you recently registered to vote through the CCAR, were you excited to vote for the first time this year?
Yes were both excited to vote because we care about using our voice to make a difference as young women!
Jaida, what was it like to vote for the first time?
Voting for the first time was a fun experience! At first I was nervous because I’ve never voted before, but after traveling with other students who were also voting for the first time, I felt better. The employees at the voting center were really nice.
What was it like to vote for the first time, Emily?
My first time voting was a great experience. I got onto the voter van, provided by the CCAR, anxious and not knowing what to expect. My thoughts were it was going to be crowded and I would be overwhelmed. When I got there it was the total opposite! The women at the front were friendly and explained how to fill out the form. It took a matter of minutes for me to cast my vote. I didn’t realize how easy and rewarding it was. I came out feeling great because it was the first time I actively participated in the elections.
Jaida hard at work in the CCAR office!
Jaida, you went on Alternative Spring Break last year with the CCAR. How is voting similar and/or different to community service? Do you think they go together?
Yes! Voting and community service are similar because they both make a difference for the better. When I helped rebuild homes destroyed in Hurricane Sandy through Alternative Spring Break, politics played a role in the recovery efforts. The victims of the storm that lived in the more poverty stricken areas were wait listed for their homes to be repaired while the more wealthy neighborhoods were basically almost completely repaired. It is important to vote for politicians who won’t let this happen after the next natural disaster!
Emily, you are both nursing majors. Does thinking about community service and getting involved with politics prepare you to be a better nurse?
Yes, getting involved with politics and doing community service will prepare me to be a better nurse because it expands my influence. By doing civic engagement work I am not only impacting people in hospitals but the general public.
Emily processing voter registration forms
What would you say to students thinking about volunteering with the CCAR?
We would definitely encourage students to volunteer with the CCAR. It helped us be more aware of the activities happening on campus. It is our goal to get more involved on campus this year! If it wasn’t for the CCAR, we wouldn’t have registered to vote. Since you can do all of this on campus it is very convenient!
Interested in working with the CCAR? Reach out to Program Coordinator Erin (emysogland@pace.edu).
