Secretary Benson announces 33 participants for Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force

Volunteers to advise on improving student voter engagement

LANSING – Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson today announced the members of her new Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force, which will meet over the next two months and make recommendations for improving voter engagement among young voters and college students.

Thirty-three students were chosen from among nearly 100 applicants to represent their institution of higher education. The members represent 31 communities across Michigan and 23 community colleges, colleges and universities statewide.

“I am proud of the many men and women across the state who have stepped up to lead and inform our office on how to best engage students in our democracy,” Benson said. “I am confident with their insights and involvement we will develop a robust plan to break down existing barriers and ensure our elections are accessible to all.”

Participants will advise on the unique challenges encountered by voters ages 18 to 24 and recommend a series of programmatic, administrative or policy changes to address those challenges. Through this task force, young voters and diverse perspectives will be at the table as the Michigan Department of State works to implement the Promote the Vote constitutional amendment passed by voters last November.

The task force will meet three times this fall between September and November in locations throughout the state, with final recommendations submitted to Benson in late November. In 2020, students will work with the Secretary of State’s Office as civic engagement liaisons to their respective campuses.

Task force members were selected by members of the Department of State’s Election Modernization Advisory Committee and Secretary of State staff leadership.

Those named to the task force are:

• Adam Abusalah of Dearborn – Central Michigan University
• Stuart Baum of West Bloomfield – Wayne State University
• Ian Berlin of Huntington Woods – Oakland University
• Michaela Bishop of Davisburg – Oakland Community College
• Tuhin Chakraborty of Ann Arbor – University of Michigan
• Peter Damerow of Fowlerville – Lansing Community College
• Demitria Dawson of Roseville – Henry Ford College
• Carolina Dominguez of Ann Arbor – University of Michigan
• Jeron Dotson of Grand Blanc – University of Michigan – Flint
• Brogan Eisler of DeWitt – Lansing Community College
• Nesreen Ezzeddine of Dearborn Heights – University of Michigan
• Adam Green of Goodrich – Michigan State University
• Jake Hendricks of Traverse City – Central Michigan University
• Steffanie Hills of Redford – Schoolcraft College
• Sean Huizing of Grand Rapids – Grand Rapids Community College
• Ariana Johnson of Marshall – Western Michigan University
• Zoé Ketola of Houghton – Michigan Technological University
• Kimberly Kozal of Whitmore Lake – Washtenaw Community College
• Josephine Luttman of Elkton – Saginaw Valley State University
• Hope Miller of Manistee – Kalamazoo College
• Talyce Murray of Lansing – Michigan State University
• Jacob Ogea of Marquette – Northern Michigan University
• Carter Oselett of East Lansing – Michigan State University
• Anthony Rospierski of Beaverton – Northern Michigan University
• Atia Siddiqui of Canton – University of Michigan – Dearborn
• Maysa Sitar of Newberry – Michigan State University
• Caitlin St. Clair of Big Rapids – Ferris State University
• Paul Stephens of Oxford – Kettering University
• Katelyn Smith of Chesterfield Township – Lake Superior State University
• Eric-John Szczepaniak of Grand Rapids – Grand Valley State University
• William Thayer of Allendale – Grand Valley State University
• Jessica Thompson of Davison Township – Macomb Community College
• Kyle Vickery of Kalamazoo – Michigan State University

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Media Contact: Shawn Starkey - MDOS-Press@Michigan.gov