The Power of Youth

Heather Box, The League's Development Director

I have always been involved with politics. I just didn’t know to call it politics.

As a teenager, I helped run the youth program at the homeless shelter in my town and worked with organizations that served new immigrants. When I turned 18, I wasn’t a voter. I didn’t think voting made any difference, and I didn’t consider myself “political.” It wasn’t until I turned 22 that I realized everything is connected to politics.

When I was 20, I moved to southern Spain. There, I experienced the first-hand effects of decisions made by my country’s politicians. One example was my friend who was displaced from his homeland, Nigeria. He immigrated to Spain because Chevron, an American corporation, moved into Nigeria and changed the entire face of his country both politically and economically. He asked me why I, as an American, allowed this.

In that moment, I realized that I helped cause his dislocation because I had no interest in American policies and took no action. I realized I could work my whole life trying to change the world, but if I didn’t address issues through the political process, I would never win.

So I tried working on the national political scene. I spent six months in a U.S. senator’s office but ended up leaving frustrated and disillusioned by the political process. Instead of making improvements, we seemed to be stepping backwards; things were changing too slowly. That’s when I got involved with the League of Young Voters.

The League is a national youth organization that is building a base of young people who are voting and pushing politicians to do the right thing.

As a teenager, I helped run the youth program at the homeless shelter in my town and worked with organizations that served new immigrants. When I turned 18, I wasn’t a voter. I didn’t think voting made any difference, and I didn’t consider myself “political.” It wasn’t until I turned 22 that I realized everything is connected to politics.

When I was 20, I moved to southern Spain. There, I experienced the first-hand effects of decisions made by my country’s politicians. One example was my friend who was displaced from his homeland, Nigeria. He immigrated to Spain because Chevron, an American corporation, moved into Nigeria and changed the entire face of his country both politically and economically. He asked me why I, as an American, allowed this.

In that moment, I realized that I helped cause his dislocation because I had no interest in American policies and took no action. I realized I could work my whole life trying to change the world, but if I didn’t address issues through the political process, I would never win.

So I tried working on the national political scene. I spent six months in a U.S. senator’s office but ended up leaving frustrated and disillusioned by the political process. Instead of making improvements, we seemed to be stepping backwards; things were changing too slowly. That’s when I got involved with the League of Young Voters.

The League is a national youth organization that is building a base of young people who are voting and pushing politicians to do the right thing.