University Graduate Shifts From Student Leader to Civic Educator

Rida Kadri joins the Rutgers Democracy Lab at the Eagleton Institute of Politics as the program coordinator for the RU Voting and RU Ready initiatives

Weeks after graduating from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rida Kadri returned to campus in a full-circle role, helping lead the same civic engagement programs that shaped her as a student.

Kida Kadir coordinates RU Voting and RU Ready efforts at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers-New Brunswick.

In July, Kadri joined the Rutgers Democracy Lab, part of the Eagleton Institute of Politics, as a program coordinator overseeing two initiatives designed to encourage political participation among young people: RU Voting, a nonpartisan effort to register, mobilize and engage Rutgers students to participate in politics and vote in local, state and national elections, and RU Ready, a civic education program that trains undergraduate students to mentor middle and high school students in New Jersey to address public problems in their communities.

"It's exciting," said Kadri, who in May received a bachelor of arts degree in political science and government. "I didn't expect to be in a position like this so quickly."

She added, "It feels good when I wake up to go to work in the morning. Personally, I just feel very grounded with purpose."

Kadri's involvement with Eagleton began during her freshman year. Uncertain about her career path, she saw a post on Instagram from the Center for Youth Political Participation recruiting RU Voting ambassadors.

I really wanted to be able to go to those students in all of these schools and tell them that you really can be part of something larger.

Rida Kadri

Program coordinator for RU Voting and RU Ready

"That was my foot in the door to everything Eagleton and everything civic engagement," she said.

As an RU Voting ambassador, Kadri helped students navigate voter registration and election participation. As an RU Ready intern, she traveled to middle and high schools throughout New Jersey, teaching young adolescents about civic engagement and political participation.

"I was a student in high school who felt like I really wanted to be involved but felt like I was too young to do anything," said Kadri, who attended John F. Kennedy Memorial High School in Woodbridge Township, N.J. "I really wanted to be able to go to those students in all of these schools and tell them that you really can be part of something larger."

Nicholas Longo

Coordinating the same programs she once participated in, Kadri said she collaborates with "a lot of people," including Nicholas Longo, director of the Rutgers Democracy Lab, and Elizabeth Matto, director of Eagleton and a research professor.

"I am so excited to see Rida continue to create spaces for young people to be change agents in this new role," said Longo, noting how Kadri's role as a civic educator builds on her studies and engagement as a student at Rutgers.

"She is going to be successful because she embodies what it means to be a responsible democratic citizen," he said. "She brings positive energy, idealism, and a deep commitment to reciprocal community building."

Elizabeth Matto

Noting that Kadri served as an undergraduate associate at Eagleton, Matto said her excellence as a candidate "is an extension of her excellence as a student leader here at Rutgers."

"She comes to this position with deep experience and a demonstrated commitment to equipping and engaging young adults in civic and political life," Matto added.

Some of Kadri's work takes place out of public view, preparing for outreach efforts in the fall ahead of the midterm elections as well as through the rest of the school year.

"There's so much that happens behind the scenes that I didn't realize when I was a student," she said. "It's all the little things like hiring interns and hiring volunteers."

Kadri also works with campus organizations, including the Rutgers University Student Assembly, and helps train student volunteers who assist peers with registration, polling locations, vote-by-mail applications and other election-related matters.

She said peer-to-peer engagement remains one of the most effective ways to reach students.

She comes to this position with deep experience and a demonstrated commitment to equipping and engaging young adults in civic and political life.

Elizabeth Matto

Director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics

"Students are more likely to go up to a person who is the same age as them, who they've had a class with, someone they're familiar with," Kadri said.

One of Kadri's goals is to expand RU Voting outreach efforts beyond students who are already politically engaged.

"I want to be more creative and intentional about bringing those students who are on the Busch campus or the Livingston campus who don't have that intrinsic motive to already get involved and find reasons for them to walk up to us at our table and encourage them to register to vote," she said.

Kadri has similar ambitions for RU Ready, including building relationships with additional middle and high schools throughout the state.

Rida Kadri (right) speaks with an RU Voting ambassador during a training session in Wood Lawn Mansion.

"I want to find more partner schools because there are so many schools across New Jersey that are underserved and could really use the support that RU Ready offers," she said.

Her own leadership experiences at Rutgers helped prepare her for the role. As president of the Political Science Honor Society, she led efforts to revitalize the organization and established a mentorship program for students.

Kadri encouraged students to get involved in programs offered by the university, be it civic education or another cause that speaks to them.

"Rutgers has so many opportunities, and because we're such a big campus, sometimes you just don't realize what we have to offer," she said. "There are always ways to get involved."

Kadri offered a message from a mentor, Ginger Gold Schnitzer, the director of education and strategic initiatives at Eagleton.

"She always says, 'You belong here. It doesn't matter if you are an international student. It doesn't matter if you're under 18. It doesn't matter if you have never voted or you vote in every election. You belong here.'"