For high school students, there is a common misconception that because we are young, our voices do not matter.

This idea may make students hesitant about being active politically in the community.

GRC students have decided to prove this idea wrong. Several students have been and still are providing aid to and campaigning for various candidates in the upcoming midterm election.

“I got started campaigning for Amy McGrath when one of her field officers came to speak at one of our first Young Democrats meeting,” says senior Serena Hutchens. “I felt so compelled by Amy’s mission. Her ideas about bipartisan and commonsense politics is something that resonated with me a lot.”

The goal of all the students involved is the same – creating change in their community.

“I started canvassing because I’m really passionate about her (Amy McGrath) politics and I also don’t approve of the job that Andy Barr has done,” says senior Corey Terrell. “I think she can make a positive change.”

Campaigning allows students to be directly involved in the shaping of their community.

“I decided to campaign because I wanted to be involved in shaping our future,” says senior Luke Martin, who is campaigning for Andy Barr, Ralph Alvarado, and other Clark County Republican candidates. “It’s a simple way to make a large impact.”

Participating in the campaign allows students to reach out into the community and to talk one-on-one with people they may have otherwise never met.

“The best part about campaigning was the second time I went canvassing,” says Terrell. “I went to a lower income neighborhood and sat down with a lady for probably 30 minutes and just talked about every issue we could possibly think about,” says Terrell. “Not coming from a lower income family, it was weird for me to do that and to see her side of things. We really connected in that moment. That was special for me.”

These students are creating change in the government before even having the chance to vote themselves.

“The best thing about campaigning is knowing that, although I can’t vote myself (yet), I’m working to make a difference in Congress,” says Hutchens. “It feels good to know I’m involved and working to promote a candidate that can do a lot of good things for our district.”

However, it’s not just the students’ opinions that they are vocalizing.

“I really enjoy letting people know that their voices and opinions matter,” says Martin.

As high school students, these individuals are shaping and changing the future without any hesitation.