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originally published: 05/24/2022

(WASHINGTON, DC) -- Ramapo College of New Jersey and ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge announced that graduating senior Keren Ortega ’22 of North Bergen, has been recognized on the 2022 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll. Ortega joins a select group of 82 college students across the nation recognized for their efforts on campuses in 2021 to advance nonpartisan voter engagement.

“Keren’s leadership represents Ramapo College’s promise to equip and empower our students to serve as ethical and empathetic change agents in their households, industries, and communities,” said Cindy Jebb, President of the state college. “The health and vibrancy of our democracy requires active engagement, and thanks to the efforts of people like Keren, we are better able to foresee a bright future.” Jebb, who joined Ramapo in July 2021 as its fifth president, has enjoyed a career in service. She retired from the U.S. military after 39 years of service at the rank of Brigadier General, Professor Emerita, and as the first woman Dean of the Academic Board at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

In 2021, Ramapo College was recognized by the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education for having outpaced student voting participation nationwide by 11%.  In that same year, the state college was recognized as a Voter Friendly Campus by Students Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) and Fair Election Center’s Campus Vote Project. In addition, 2022 marks the College’s sixth year as a valued partner of the Andrew Goodman Foundation, a national organization that supports youth leadership development, voting accessibility, and justice initiatives on campuses across the country. Ramapo students serve as Andrew Goodman Foundation Ambassadors and, in addition to advancing voter registration, they are also involved in programming related to voting among Native Americans, Black History Month, and women’s suffrage.

“College student voter turnout has increased since 2016, and this increase has been driven by students. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is excited to expand our ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll to recognize these student voting champions across the country,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “These students registered students to vote, served on their campus voting coalitions, spearheaded voter education efforts, advocated for campus polling locations and organized other voter engagement efforts to ensure their peers were confident and informed voters. We are excited to see what they continue to accomplish ahead of the 2022 midterms.”

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. Campuses that join the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge complete a set of action items, with the support of ALL IN Challenge staff, to institutionalize nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation on their campus. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge currently engages over 9 million students from more than 870 institutions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

 

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As the state’s premier public liberal arts college, Ramapo College of New Jersey is dedicated to providing students a strong foundation for a lifetime of achievement. Established in 1969, the College is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. Ramapo College emphasizes teaching and individual attention to all students. We promote diversity, inclusiveness, sustainability, student engagement and community involvement.

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