CAROLINE ROBSON

An interest in politics and campus engagement familiarized Anna Barry with the name of the Morgridge Center for Public Service.

Barry, a 2019 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in political science, found herself frequently being referred to the work of the Morgridge Center, but couldn’t find an existing organization to engage in voter work on campus. 

In 2018, she heard about the Big Ten Voting Challenge, a collaborative nonpartisan initiative created to spur civic engagement and encourage more students across the Big Ten to head to the polls on election day.

“When I read about it online when it was first announced, I was so excited about it,” Barry says.

Seeing what vote initiatives the other Big Ten schools were rolling out had Barry intrigued, interested and looking to get involved. Barry’s curiosity lead her to email the Chancellor’s Office to inquire more information about the Big Ten Voting Challenge.

However, by the time Barry would get a response from the Chancellor’s Office, the Morgridge Center was already in the process of leading and forming a committee with campus and community partners, planning voter efforts and events and looking to hire a Big Ten Voting Challenge intern.