Presidential Debate Student Profile

Teresa Sullivan

Senior in International Studies and Spanish from Aurora, Illinois. Attended High School at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, Illinois.

Founder of the "Project Democracy" Chapter in St. Louis

Bio Snapshot: Not all first-time voters are 18, as Teresa Sullivan learned last spring when she helped an 80-year-old man register for the first time. It happened when she was working with Project Democracy's Alternative Spring Break in Florida.

Sullivan says her Florida experience "gives me hope, and the energy I see in my peers and colleagues inspires me to keep fighting this fight to make our voices heard."

Teresa Sullivan

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Sullivan founded the Project Democracy chapter in St. Louis. According to its national website, Project Democracy is an effort started by young organizers to train and mobilize young people to do voter registration and mobilization work.

Sullivan says, "We believe that the voting process is a three-step one that involves registration, education, and mobilization. We feel responsible for making all three a reality on Washington University's campus." So far, St. Louis Project Democracy has registered about 1,000 voters.

In addition to Project Democracy, Sullivan works with Educate Yourself: 2004, a weekly series of student-organized forums about policy issues. She is also a resident advisor, one of two student representatives to the Washington University Board of Trustees, and a singer in several university ensembles. She studied abroad in Madrid and has participated in the Summer Leaders Internship Program.

Sullivan is optimistic that all the activity leading up to the debate and the presidential election will have a lasting effect on campus. "The collaboration that has happened among student groups to create dialogue and participation has been very positive and healthy for our community. I hope this collective energy remains beyond the debates and beyond the election."

Student Contact Information:

Cell: (314) 651-9249

E-mail: teresa.sullivan@wustl.edu

For more information or help setting up an interview, contact:

Debra Schwartz - schwarde@charter.net, (314) 791-0647

Gerry Everding - gerry_everding@wustl.edu, (314) 935-6375