Arianna Mathurin

My name is Arianna and I am a senior at Science Skills Center High School. This is my second year participating in this fellowship and my first year as a lead fellow and I am so excited to be working with the other brilliant minds in this cohort and contributing to this important civic space. I came across NGP in my search for extracurriculars that I could be a part of outside of my school community, as I wanted to be able to connect with other teenagers from across the boroughs that have different experiences and perspectives than I do. Even though I have only been a part of this group for a little over a year, NGP has made a significant contribution to my life in the best ways possible.

Coming from a small island in the Caribbean, I lacked exposure to the great political issues going on in the United States and the world and I yearned to learn more. During my civic fellowship I listened attentively and allowed myself to feel discomfort at my initial lack of knowledge at the political discourse. Over my first year I grew and my civic knowledge expanded, I began to feel a personal responsibility to remain educated on such topics and share my knowledge whenever I can. This year as a lead fellow, I am excited to facilitate discussions and promote civic literacy in others, as well as encourage those who may feel behind in their civic knowledge to listen and participate despite the discomfort that they may feel.