by Chloe '25

On Wednesday, Oct. 9, the Class of 2025 gathered in Manley Hall for Notre Dame's signature Democracy Matters event. This event supports the culture of Education for Justice and Leadership at ND and connects what students learn in the classroom to making meaningful contributions to the communities through conversations about democracy.

The morning began with presentations from Social Studies teacher, Eran DeSilva, and Religious Studies teacher, Deidre Savino. DeSilva and Savino highlighted the importance of being an active citizen and engaged students in discussions about the different forms of democracy in today's society. 

“I love that Democracy Matters takes so many strands of learning – US government, ideas about democracy, service learning and Catholic Social Teaching – and weaves them together … into this strong rope of advocacy and engagement,” shared Savino. “Hearing students make plans for their Senior Service Learning Experience last week brought home that, in four short years, these kids have grown profoundly as spiritual seekers, community leaders and justice advocates!”

Following the presentation, Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez spoke to the class about female representation in government and how to uplift the voices of others. Following a Q&A session, students broke into breakout groups to meet with community leaders from various organizations, such as Amigos de Guadalupe and Tech Workers Coalition. 

Maya '25 shared, “I appreciated hearing from different groups, [like Amigos de Guadalupe and Register of Voters,] about various topics. I saw how it sparked interest in my peers to be more involved and educated on matters that affect our communities.” 

The Democracy Matters event inspired students to research the organizations in their communities and was a vital step in becoming justice advocates and community leaders.

Notre Dame extends a heartfelt thank you to all of the representatives who came to speak at this year's Democracy Matters: 

Cindy Chavez, Santa Clara County Supervisor
Alum, Kiran Palla '10, Tech Workers Coalition
Abel Rangel-Espinosa, Registrar of Voters
Morgan Miller-Trappen, SCC Vote
Alum, Angelica Ramos-Allen '01, Grail Family Services
Zahra Billoo, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Maritza Maldonado, Amigos de Guadalupe
Alum, Aundraya Martinez '10, Sobrato Philanthropies

View more photos on Instagram.