Jiya Naik '28 Selected for New Voters 250 Fellowship

Even though she's not yet old enough to vote, sophomore Jiya Naik is on a mission to generate interest among new voters.

As an 8th grader, Jiya worked on a voter registration drive after being introduced to the idea by a neighbor who also mentioned the organization New Voters, a Gen-Z-led non-profit.

Jiya was recently selected as a New Voters 250 Fellow.

"This is the first year that this fellowship has been available, and I was hoping to land a spot in order to learn more about the way we can help our community. The process was quite competitive as there were only 100 or so spots," explained Jiya.

The fellowship also focuses on a community service initiative. "My initiative, Fuel the Future, aims to educate athletes on food nutrition through hands-on volunteer work. The fellowship also requires me to run two voter registration drives at EA," said Jiya. She held her first voter registration at EA the week of March 16.

Over the summer, Jiya will meet other fellows in Washington, D.C. "I was really excited when I learned I had been accepted. I knew that it was competitive, so I was proud that I was chosen out of the many applicants."

"This recognition reflects Jiya's strong commitment to civics and meaningful service, as well as the supportive and engaging environment The Episcopal Academy provides," reads a statement by the organization. "The 250 fellowship is a prestigious, year-long program that includes personal mentorship for students, the execution of student-led voter registration drives, the completion of a 75-hour local organizing project, and a summer summit. We are thrilled to have Jiya as a part of this year’s cohort!"

"New Voters is a really great organization, and I was just excited to be a part of it!" said Jiya.