Maine student panelists and peers from Alaska and Oregon presented the Supporting Youth Leaders workshop at the 2024 League of Women Voters National Convention, held June 27-30 in Washington, D.C.
Kennebunk High School graduate Maya Eichorn was a panelist at a workshop held during the League of Women Voters National Convention in Washington, D.C. From left are Eichorn, Lianna Holden, of Lewiston, and Alex Wu, of Scarborough, outside the Capitol. Contributed / Allyson Gardner photo
Maya Eichorn, 19, Kennebunk, Alex Wu, 17, Scarborough, and Lianna Holden, 18, Lewiston, answered recruitment and retention questions, shared what 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.”
According to a news release, Eichorn said she was particularly impressed by the different model 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.”
The students said another highlight of the convention was talking with staff in Sen. Angus King (I), Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) and Rep. Jared Golden’s (D) offices, where the teens lobbied on the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and GOSAFE Act.
Eichorn said 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 Youth Council representative to the state 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.
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