When the Rural Youth Voices Initiative was conceived of and launched in May 2025, it was hard to know which voices across the rural diaspora would answer our call to elevate rural youth voice on a national stage. If they did answer, where they would come from? What would be on their minds? And what they would hope to accomplish?
Nine months later, under the direction of Hannah Botts, Campus Compact Student Design Fellow and program director of the Rural Youth Voices Project, we have resounding answers in the form of a collection of reflections from our Fellows who come from eleven different states and represent ten different universities, representing the depth and breadth of rural youth leadership today.
The Rural Youth Voices Initiative seeks to empower rural youth to better serve their communities, reshape dominant narratives about rural engagement, and encourage rural-serving organizations to center youth voices. Young people from across the United States and its territories, especially those passionate about civic engagement and community storytelling, were encouraged to apply for this paid fellowship. Each Fellow received $500 to support a narrative change or civic engagement project, as well as a $500 personal stipend for their time.
Below you will find a collection blogs written by our Rural Youth Voice Fellows about the projects they designed and produced which highlight rural youth voices and what they wish others knew about rural youth engagement. Each Fellow will also serve as an advisor in the creation of a report on the state of rural youth service and engagement, including how organizations can best support rural youth moving forward.
Learn about what matters to each individual Fellow and their unique rural community. Rural students and communities are not a monolith, and through the work of the Rural Youth Voices Initiative Campus Compact is proud to raise up the voices of these dedicated, creative young leaders.
Civic Engagement Education for Teens in the Community
By Madison Albers
Fort Hays State University
Kansas
Read Madison's Blog —>
Reimagining Constitution Day: Building a Campus and Community Culture for Democracy
By Caden Lucas
Western Kentucky University
Kentucky
Read Caden's Blog —>
Beyond the Farm Stereotype: What Rural Students Bring to College
By Julia Lin
Yale University
Maryland
Read Julia's Blog —>
Pasifika Voices in the North
By Lorna-lei Sua’ava
University of Arizona Global Campus
Alaska
Read Lorna-lei's Blog —>
Where They're Really From: How Place and Power Shape the World
By Lisa Kennedy
Georgetown University
Wisconsin
Read Lisa's Blog —>
Reclaiming the Classroom: Why Educational Equity Begins with Listening
By Shawn Jiminez
Bowdoin College
Maine
Read Shawn's Blog —>
Rural Youth Don’t Need Saving, They Need Systems
By Preethika Yetukuri
Clemson University
South Carolina
Read Preethika's Blog —>
Experiencing Life in a Rural Community, Through Books
By Angela Haugen
University of Montana Western
Montana
Read Angela's Blog —>
From Living Rooms to Museums: Rural Youth Preserving Rural History
By Nicole Li
Yale University
Tennessee
Read Nicole's Blog —>
Strengthening the Fabric of Rural Communities, One Park At a Time
By ZaTayvia Hayes
University of Texas at Austin
Texas
Read ZaTayvia's Blog —>
From Pushout to Possibility: How I’m Using Mentorship and Meals to Change the Narrative
By Semaj Attaway
Delta State University
Mississippi
Read Semaj's Blog —>
Hannah Botts
Program Director, Rural Youth Voices Project
Hannah Botts is a Gen Z civic leader reimagining how institutions connect with communities too often overlooked in national discourse. A Kentucky native, she has advised foundations, local governments, and cultural institutions on youth engagement strategy. As Program Director of Campus Compact’s Rural Youth Voices Initiative, Hannah works to reframe narratives around rurality and reshape how rural community engagement is understood, supported, and sustained.