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Jackie Ferro
Bio Statement
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My name is Jackie Ferro (technically Jacqueline, but I’ll never respond to that) and I'd love to serve on the NYRA board of directors for a third year. I first became involved with NYRA in early 2009. My chapter, the Teen Suffrage Organization (NYRA-Nanuet: TSO), has worked to raise awareness in regards to the issue of the voting age, gaining publicity on a local and regional level. We have also participated in National Youth Rights Day, started the “Wear Blue For Youth Rights” event, and have more recently begun fighting internet restrictions placed on students in schools. Youth rights is an important issue to me. Being a teenager myself, I've been faced with ageist prejudices in my daily life. I endure ageist lectures from teachers and advisors in the classroom and in extracurricular settings, which motivates me further to end these injustices. In the past year I have been proud to consider myself part of the youth rights movement and I hope you elect me so I can continue to do so. I promise you the issue will continue to play a huge part in my life.
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Questionnaire
1. Why do you want to run for the NYRA Board of Directors?
For as long as I can remember, my dream has always been to change the world in whatever way I can and make our nation a better place. By serving on the NYRA Board of Directors, I will be able to once again, work towards ending the injustices and restrictions placed against youth in our society. Youth rights is an incredibly worthy cause and I'm honored to have had the opportunity to work alongside NYRA to bring that dream closer to reality.
2. Are you familiar with the responsibilities of a non-profit board member? What prior experience do you have that you believe qualifies you to hold the position of director on our board?
I have been on the Board of Directors for the past 2 years, helping lead NYRA. Just last year, I served as the National Vice-President for the organization, which has furthered my awareness of the responsibilities of a board member. I would consider myself aware of the responsibilities a non-profit board member faces. Additionally, I’ve served as an elected leader in various clubs in my school and community, such as the Model United Nations and Student Senate, to gain experience that provides further education and experience.
3. What have you personally done to advance NYRA?
I have helped NYRA gain some publicity through my chapter, gaining news coverage on RNN, which is broadcasted in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut as well as the Hudson River Valley local news and the Journal News (our local newspaper). Additionally, for the last two years we have conducted a successful “Wear Blue For Youth Rights Day” event on National Youth Rights Day (or NYRD if you enjoy acronyms). We've introduced the idea of a lower voting age to our peers and have recently begun work on a campaign to end internet browsing restrictions in our school.
4. What are your short and long term goals for NYRA? How do we reach those goals?
My long term goal for NYRA would of course be world domination. Seeing as that is unlikely, though, my long term goals would be to make noticeable change on a national level to draw attention to the issues youth rights involves. The best way to do that would be by lowering the voting age or drinking age (or ideally both). On a more short-term level, I want the youth rights movement to be something people know about. If no one knows about our cause, how can they support us and our ideas? I think the first step for NYRA is to make our issue just as important as that of gay rights and healthcare reform. I don’t want everyone on the Earth to agree with every single one of NYRA’s philosophies; I just want them to know they exist.
5. What do you believe is NYRA's biggest challenge or weakness, and what will you do, personally, to help address it. Please be specific and realistic.
I think NYRA faces challenges in communication between its chapters. Although recently Facebook groups and monthly chapter chats have started to help bridge the communication gap, I feel more needs to be done to help chapters communicate and help one another. I find it much more difficult than it should be to reach out to other chapter leaders when my chapter is faced with a problem. Although the monthly chapter chats are a great help, many times not all the chapters are present when one is discussing their chapter’s affairs. There should more available outlets for chapters to communicate with one another and help one another work through problems. NYRA works best as a team, not a group of scattered individuals.
6. If elected, what will you personally do for the national organization? What projects or activities will you take leadership of? Please be specific and realistic.
My chapter has recently begun planning and developing a campaign against internet restrictions in our school... you’re not allowed to Google the words “homosexual” or “knives,” which not only is a gross restriction on the rights of the students, but also on the education of students when researching, say, “The Night of Long Knives” or a book with a prominent theme of homosexuality. I hope to be spending most of my time with this (and fulfilling the responsibilities of a board member, of course, should I be elected).
7. In your view, how is the role of a board member different than that of an active member or chapter leader? How would your involvement be affected if you weren't elected this year?
NYRA members, although just as important as the board members, have less responsibility than the board members. The role of a member is to work to the best of their ability to promote youth rights. The only way to not be a proper NYRA member is by not doing anything. The Board of Directors not only works to defend youth rights, but also to make decisions in the best interest of the organization. If I was not a board member this year, I would continue to fight for the rights of youth as I do now, but I would not be able to represent the organization in the same way I do now. I would not have a vote in official matters and I would not be able to contribute to decisions that affect the fate of the national office as much. My influence would be more locally restricted.
8. If you served on the board last year, how would you assess your level of involvement? Did you follow through on promises you made during last year's election?
I think I did a decent job of being involved for most of the year. Unfortunately, I missed a few meetings at the end of the year when my grandmother faced some health complications that impeded on my attendance. Next year, I hope to be more consistent, and of course if I get reelected I'll be working to be even more involved than I was this year. But I’m not disappointed in myself for my level of involvement this year and feel I contributed to the organization.
9. Define "youth rights". Describe our mission and our vision in your own words.
Youth rights is the movement to protect the rights of youth. Youth rights activists work to prevent people from being denied an opportunity based off nothing but their age and people’s perceptions of their age group. NYRA envisions a world where youth are treated as full citizens. A world where 16 year olds can vote and 18 year olds can drink alcohol without breaking the law. A world where young people are active participants in society, paving the way for a more involved and informed future.
10. With many qualified members running for the Board, what sets you apart? Why should you be elected?
For two elections in a row now I’ve set myself apart with my age, declaring myself the future for the movement. But I think the point of NYRA is that age shouldn’t define a person. I’m done distinguishing myself with my age, because there’s more to me than that and as fellow NYRAians, I know you all know that. So although I may be the youngest candidate, representing the “youth” part of “youth rights,” this year I’d like to be the candidate with the bushiest hair. Because there is no living being with hair bushier than mine.
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