MACRI Symposium 2024 Day 1: Panel III - The Youth Vote in the 2024 Election Year

MACRI Symposium 2024 Day 1: Panel III - The Youth Vote in the 2024 Election Year
Speakers: Matthew Baiza, Bianca Rosales, Yadira Sanchez, Heather Eichling

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Matthew Baiza is a dedicated community organizer who strives to build an inclusive democracy for all Texans. A 2014 John Jay Science & Engineering Academy Graduate, Matthew holds a Bachelor's degree from Stanford University, where he first got involved in civic engagement work through community organizing and public policy. Since graduating, Matthew has gained experience organizing and managing hundreds of staff and volunteers for various political campaigns, including for presidential, congressional, and city council campaigns. Throughout his organizing career, Matthew has shown a commitment to uplifting underrepresented communities, which has been the driving force behind his passion for building a fair and inclusive government system. Currently, Matthew serves as the Texas State Director at NextGen America, where he works to engage young Texans in the electoral process. Under his leadership, NextGen America registered nearly 40,000 Texans to vote since 2022, making it one of the most successful voter registration programs in the state. Matthew is eager to continue leading NextGen America's youth organizing efforts in Texas as we approach the 2024 Election. In addition to his work with NextGen America, Matthew serves as the Director of the New Leaders Council San Antonio Chapter. He is also a graduate of Leadership SAISD and currently serves on the City of San Antonio’s Streets, Bridges, & Sidewalks Advisory Committee and VIA’s Council to Keep SA Moving.

Bianca Rosales is the Director of Partnerships for the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition (SLSV)- the nation's largest nonpartisan network dedicated to increasing student voter engagement. She is an experienced activist and community organizer with a strong background at both local and national levels. Before joining SLSV, she was the Director of Community Engagement for a city council office in San Antonio, Texas. She also served as an elementary school educator where she organized her students and their families around immigration rights and helped lead efforts to bridge educational inequities in and out of the classroom. Prior to her roles in San Antonio, Bianca spent time in Washington, D.C., working for Reproductive Freedom for ALL where she advocated for reproductive rights across the nation. She continues to pursue this passion by serving on the Board of Directors for The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice. Bianca is currently pursuing her Masters in Public Administration at New York University, and holds a B.S. in Communication Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

Yadira Sánchez is the co-founder and is currently serving as the Executive Director of Poder Latinx, a civic and social justice organization, dedicated to building a sustained progressive voting bloc of Latinxs in battleground states while strengthening the political power of the Latinx community. Yadira has previously served as the Development Director for Mi Familia Vota, where she helped raise over $20 million and expanded the number of strategic partnerships with major organizations and allies to increase year-round civic participation within the Latinx community. She has been instrumental in campaigns such as Fast for Families for immigration reform while working at SEIU, and is an active board member of three nonprofits: Dialogue on Diversity and Family Values @ Work Action, and Western Resource Advisors as well as sitting on the managing committee for Democracy Partners.

Heather Eichling is a nonprofit administrator and civic engagement advocate. She is most comfortable working at the grassroots level, but also has experience working for institutional and governmental organizations in the arts and education fields. In 2023, she founded Youth Do Vote, a fiscally sponsored project of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas, which focuses on high school voter registration, voting education, and recruitment of student election clerks. As executive director of Youth Do Vote, she is building a local, collaborative network of high school administrators, teachers, and students along with local nonprofit and civic leaders to grow voters in Bexar County. Heather has been a key team member and leader in moments of pivotal growth for multiple organizations, including San Anto Cultural Arts, the City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture, and the Humanities Collective at Trinity University. Since 2016, she has been a certified election judge and serves as a third generation poll worker for Bexar County where she has worked more than a dozen elections. Heather is the proud daughter of two San Antonio ISD graduates and is a first generation college graduate. She holds a B.A. in Art History and Comparative Religion from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.