Lakewood High School students captured first place in the Your Voice Matters social media contest, earning recognition for creativity, communication, and teamwork. This achievement resulted in the students being named the ambassador school to the Youth Voting Summit.
Group members and staff were invited to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections for their Early Voting Celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 28. Three group members attended to accept the award: Connor Coleman, Liam McGann and Jacob Stoll. The other members of the winning group included Nyle Donaldson, Aiden Holian, Drew Jones, Ethan Moore and Moo Blue Soe.
Students from Lakewood High School’s first-period AP Government class attended the summit on Sept. 30, accompanied by their teacher, Ron Lewis, who spoke about the contest that got them there. “I took some of my students to Tri-C Metro, and we participated in the Your Voice Matters Youth Voting Summit. It is put on by Cuyahoga County and Tri-C. At this event, students engaged in different activities, and one of them was to create a video, a TikTok about voting and voter registration for youth,” Lewis said.
Lakewood’s submission was a creative video that featured the tag line “ YOUR VOTE MATTERS.” According to group member Connor Coleman, they chose to make “a funny video…to spread the idea of voting through comedy, where we did a fake interview.”
Liam McGann accepted the honor on behalf of his team and school. “It’s a blessing to receive an opportunity like this and to represent the school, and not only that, but the city of Lakewood as well. It is truly an honor to announce that we are now the ambassadors and hope to show the youth that voting is so important,” he said.
Lewis expressed his pride in the achievement, noting that he was “super proud of the guys, and especially Liam, for being put on the spot speaking at the celebration.”
By participating in the summit and creating a social media campaign, the students gained firsthand experience in promoting voter awareness, helping them learn about civic engagement and the impact young people can have on their communities. The contest win and ambassador designation serve as a reminder of the importance of participating in elections — a reminder that your voice matters.
