The Civic Engagement Fair was held at the UMC at the University of Colorado, Boulder. At this event, there were two keynote speakers and multiple booths about ways to get involved in the community. Civic engagement is important because it can change the outcome of elections and inform citizens about local issues. Young people should feel more motivated to participate in their community because election decisions will have a large impact on them.
The two keynote speakers were Marta Loachamin and Molly Fitzpatrick.
Marta Loachamin started off her career here at CU Boulder. She was a full-time student while working in the restaurant industry and graduated with a degree in Ethnic Studies. After college, she started working at a bank learning more about the complicated financial system in the United States. In the US, not many of us are fully aware of the financial system and what access to credit scores means.
After that she moved into the mortgage field, helping people buy homes. The process of buying a home can be daunting if you are not familiar with the process. Loachamin also noticed how the home-buying process is another systematically racist institution where people of color are less likely to be treated the same and be approved for a home loan.
After starting at grad school to become a teacher, she had to leave school for a time because of the pressures of supporting her family, but was able to come back and finish her degree in education.
Loachamin started Resiliency for All, a data assessment firm to determine barriers to access to local governments and other agencies. Resiliency for All strives to help bridge the gap between the Latino population of Boulder Country and help make these agencies more accessible One of the recommendations is providing more guidance to attempt to remove the barriers put in place by the system.
The second keynote speaker was Molly Fitzpatrick, a Country Clerk overseeing elections, motor vehicles, and recording. Her goal is to flip the narrative that our government doesn’t care and is slow. As a County Clerk, Fitzpatrick has had over 100,000 motor interactions since being elected in 2018. She believes that the most important way to make change is to vote. Voting can change who is in the seats of local governments, and who can create large changes for communities.
The Know Your Voting Rights campaign in Boulder County is to ensure that people are aware of their right to vote and when elections are coming up.
The Civic Engagement Fair was attended by around 100 students, who were able to learn about ways to get involved in the community with organizations like Boulder County Boards and Commissions, League of Women Voters, Bridge USA and more. The ic Engagement Fair highlighted the importance of being involved. By being involved in your community, you can make change just like Loachamin and Fitzpatrick.