Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts student mobilizes young voters through PSU Votes internship

Maddie Hindman will graduate with a master of public policy degree in May 2025

Maddie Hindman interns for PSU Votes, a nonpartisan University-affiliated voter education resource. Credit: Kate Kenealy. All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Maddie Hindman, a student in the College of the Liberal Arts, serves as a catalyst for change in youth voter participation at Penn State. She is currently earning a master of public policy degree through an integrated undergraduate-graduate (IUG) degree program.

Hindman serves as an intern for PSU Votes, a nonpartisan University-affiliated voter education resource. Her position allows her to fulfill her love of civic engagement that she has developed since high school and work on a larger scale to mobilize Penn State voters.

“I had a really great government teacher who got me engaged in politics,” said Hindman, a West Chester, Pennsylvania, native. “I began by phone banking in high school and had really meaningful conversations with community members and constituents. This really sparked my love for politics and solidified that it was something I wanted to study in college.”

Hindman explained that she was drawn to Penn State due to the 25 IUG degree programs in the College of the Liberal Arts that allow students to earn their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in just five years. Through her IUG degree program, she was able to earn her bachelor’s degree in political science this past spring and will complete her master of public policy degree in spring 2025 through the college’s School of Public Policy.

Hindman credits the IUG degree program for much of the success she has already accomplished. From the coursework to the people involved, she explained the vast skills she has gained have prepared her for a successful future career.

“Through my education, I want to learn how to make an impact,” Hindman said. “My academic adviser within the college was the one who told me to pursue an advanced degree to make an immediate impact. I’ve learned so much about professional development and have gained so many transferable skills through this IUG degree program.”

It was thanks to her program advisers that she learned about PSU Votes. While searching for a summer internship, she learned about Community Service Federal Work Study, a Penn State program that encourages eligible students to participate in community service and service-learning experiences that benefit the community, promote social responsibility and enhance educational experiences. Through this program, Hindman was directed to an opening within PSU Votes. After completing a successful summer internship, she returned for the fall semester to continue working during election season.

In her position, Hindman works on the student engagement side of PSU Votes developing resources to support students registering to vote and making a plan to vote. Additionally, she creates resources to support faculty who want to help their students get ready to vote. Hindman explained that there are many barriers college students face when voting, so PSU Votes exists to help students overcome such barriers.

“Unrealistically, I would love to have 100% youth voter turnout, but knowing that’s not possible, my goal is to get as many people to vote as we can,” Hindman said. “I would love to see more people excited to vote, be informed and know their rights as a voter.”

With the younger population becoming a critical demographic in recent elections, Hindman noted it is one of her passions to study youth voter turnout. She explained that one of the most rewarding aspects of this job is educating youth voters on the power of their ballots, especially in local elections in Pennsylvania.

“Young people historically don't realize how much power they have in their vote,” Hindman said. “I’ve enjoyed getting young people involved in local elections and primaries because of the strong impact the elections have on students. Our funding and appropriations here at Penn State are decided by the state legislature, so it’s important to get informed and know why it's crucial to vote in local elections.”

Hindman summarized her work as a movement of encouragement for young voters, especially those at Penn State. She hopes that through her internship, she can continue to educate students about the power of their vote and mobilize them to make their voices heard.

“Realize what an incredible opportunity you have in this election to make your voice heard,” Hindman said. “Decisions are made by those who show up, so show up and make people listen to you. I want students to think about how they can use their vote as their voice.” 

Last Updated November 4, 2024

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