Students to help improve voter education, engagement on Michigan college campuses through the 2026 election cycle





Secretary Benson banner




*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
Jan. 23, 2026

Contact: Cheri Hardmon

[email protected]

 






Secretary Benson names young leaders to Michigan Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force

"Students to help improve voter education, engagement on Michigan college campuses through the 2026 election cycle"

*LANSING, Mich. –* Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced today that she and the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) team have selected 23 college and university students to serve on the Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force [ [link removed] ] through the 2026 election cycle. 

 

The nonpartisan task force will determine and implement recommendations to improve voter education and engagement among young people on college and university campuses across Michigan. In 2024, the college task force members originated the idea of the state’s first “I Voted” sticker design contest [ [link removed] ], which received national attention and hundreds of submissions from artists all around Michigan.  

 

In 2024, Michigan ranked third in the nation for youth voter turnout among 18- to 29-year-olds, with 58% casting ballots, up four points from 2020. This marked the largest gain in the country, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University [ [link removed] ]. Michigan’s youth voter turnout is behind only Minnesota (62%) and Maine (60%).  

 

The task force is a nonpartisan initiative of MDOS in partnership with Campus Vote Project (CVP) [ [link removed] ], a project of the Fair Elections Center [ [link removed] ], a national, nonpartisan voting rights organization. The appointed students will serve on the task force through December 2026.  

 

The students represent 19 community colleges, colleges, and universities statewide and were chosen from among nearly 100 applicants to represent their institution of higher education:  

 

*Alex Guo* of Rochester Hills - Michigan State University 

*Amara Makim* of Port Huron - University of Michigan - Ann Arbor 

*A'naya Jones* of Detroit - Wayne State University 

*Anabelle Sanchez* of Chicago, IL - Michigan State University 

*Arianna Rowsey* of Detroit - Grand Valley State University 

*Blase Johnson* of Birmingham - Oakland Community College 

*Brooklynn Rogowski* of Grand Ledge - Adrian College 

*Edgar Santiago-Rivera* of Wayne - Ferris State University 

*Emma Goos* of Saint Joseph - Lake Michigan College 

*Gia Verma* of Albertson, NY - University of Michigan - Ann Arbor 

*Harrison Krafchak* of Dearborn Heights - Central Michigan University 

*Hawraa Alzergani* of Dearborn - University of Detroit Mercy 

*Jackson Glover *of Detroit - Madonna University 

*Jacob Olson* of Plymouth - Schoolcraft College 

*Jake Juip* of Grosse Pointe - College for Creative Studies 

*Justin Evans* of St. Augustine, FL - Delta College 

*Larry West III* of Saginaw - Central Michigan University 

*Marcus Johnson* of Southfield - Oakland University 

*Noorhan Abdulridha* of Sterling Heights - Wayne State University 

*Nyah Caldwell* of Grayslake, IL - Northern Michigan University 

*Rileigh Burnett *of* *Phoenix, AZ - Calvin University 

*Sobowale Solaja *of Lagos, Nigeria - Wayne County Community College 

*Viba Haurovi *of Harare, Zimbabwe - Michigan Technological University 

 

The task force, first established by Benson in 2019 [ [link removed] ], brings together students from across the state who are passionate about civic engagement. Task force members will serve as liaisons between MDOS, their student body, school administrators, and peers. The group will advise on the unique experiences and barriers for student voters, helping to ensure the voices of young people are heard in our state's elections.   

 

This marks the fourth iteration of the Michigan Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force. Reports from previous cohorts are available at Michigan.gov/CSATF. [ [link removed] ] 

 

# # #







________________________________________________________________________

[ [link removed] ]

"Get personalized voter information at Michigan.gov/Vote [ [link removed] ]"

STAY CONNECTED:
[ [link removed] ] [ [link removed] ] [ [link removed] ] [ [link removed] ] [ [link removed] ] [ [link removed] ]


 

 

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
Manage Subscriptions [ [link removed] ]  |  Unsubscribe All [ [link removed] ]  |  Help [ [link removed] ]

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Secretary of State · 430 W. Allegan Street · Lansing, MI 48918 · 1-888-767-6424