Abby McHenry
Spring 2019 graduate Mikaela Guido was elected the College Democrats of America President during their national convention Sept. 6-8.
Guido campaigned for months before her victory and said it was a good taste of what it would be like to run a campaign for the United States government. She said she had to come up with solutions for issues in different states and their current issues while addressing people in many different regions. The most important aspect of campaigning for Guido however was the connections she had made along the way.
“I am most excited to get to know all the state federation leaders,” Guido said. “[The leaders] are all very different and hold different backgrounds, skills, and there’s a lot to learn from all of them.”
She and the rest of CDA want to have a vision that is cohesive for amongst all the states and make sure to solidify and increase their budget while making connections with the DNC to make sure the organization is functioning properly.
Guido said College Democrats organization at FSC was fairly new when she was a student there, so it was easy to take it in any direction the group wanted. It helped her to make connections at the state and national level because in order to get the chapter involved she said it was important to reach out to people.
“The only way we’re going to get things done that we’re passionate about is by acting on it and making our voices heard,” Guido said.
There is a lot of division among the U.S. according to Guido, which has driven a wedge between different groups of people. She said this affects how we function because it stops American citizens from being able to pass things in congress and in general creates tension within communities, making it difficult to get work done. Guido said that people are not finding middle ground for these issues, and they are very polarized.
“With [divisive, polarized] framework and state of mind, it’s hard to solve issues that are actually there,” Guido said.
Guido is currently studying at the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law. She said it feels like Florida Southern because although the university is bigger, the law school is smaller. Guido said her professors at FSC, especially within the political science department were very encouraging and helped her pursue the next step in her academic career and beyond.
Guido said she is not sure if she will run for U.S. president yet, because it is a long way away. Guido said she wants to take things one step at a time and get a feel for her current position. She said she will need a long break before thinking about running for U.S. president.
“I think [eliminating division] comes down to empathy and understanding of others and their backgrounds and trying to listen without trying to impose things on others,” Guido said.
The U.S., according to Guido, is doing right by becoming very involved and active citizens on current issues. She said U.S. citizens can better become involved in current policies by doing research on what matters to them and acting on it.
“The only way we’re going to get things done that we’re passionate about is by acting on it and making our voices heard,” Guido said.
