Maine students shine at League of Women Voters national event

Special to Seacoastonline
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WELLS, Maine — Maine student panelists and peers from Alaska and Oregon presented the “Supporting Youth Leaders” workshop at the 2024 League of Women Voters National Convention, June 27-30 in Washington, D.C.

Maya Eichorn, 19, Kennebunk, Lianna Holden, 18, Lewiston, and Alex Wu, 17, Scarborough, helped answer recruitment and retention questions, shared what League of Women Voters Maine's Youth Council members do, how they address challenges and the larger impacts of their civic work with a 90-member audience.

“Our work in Maine is mostly youth-led,” Eichorn said, “so youth determine what we do, and recently it’s been a lot of advocacy at the State House.”

Maya Eichorn, Lianna Holden, Alex Wu outside the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
Maya Eichorn, Lianna Holden, Alex Wu outside the Capitol, Washington, D.C.

She was particularly impressed by the different models the Alaskan panelists described.

“We learned about their programs within schools, including running mock elections throughout the school system,” Eichorn said. “What a great way to get kids involved in democracy at a young age.”

She met with staff in the offices of Sen. Angus King, Rep. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden and lobbied on the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and GOSAFE Act.

Her convention highlight was being nominated and accepted to serve on the

League of Women Voters nominating committee, which picks national board delegates every two years.

Eichorn interned twice with the League of Women Voters Maine and was a Youth Council representative to the board. She attended Kennebunk High School, then York County Community College where she was a civic engagement leader. A 2024 graduate of YCCC, she will be a freshman at Emerson College in Boston this fall.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Maine students shine at League of Women Voters national event