Every Vote Matters: How Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory Students are Leading the Way

Driven by the school's Marianist mission to foster engaged communities, Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory's Rho Kappa Club organized a student-led voter registration drive that empowered young voters to embrace their civic responsibilities while highlighting the ongoing need for civic education.

The voter registration initiative at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory powerfully embodies Goal 5 – Empower through Family Spirit, which seeks to strengthen resilient local communities through regional solidarity within both the Marianist Family and society at large. More than a civic exercise, the initiative served as a living witness to the school’s mission of forming communities of faith committed to service, justice, and transformative action.

On Tuesday, April 7, and Wednesday, April 8, members of the Rho Kappa Club organized and facilitated a voter registration drive on campus. Tables were set up in the cafeteria during lunch periods, making the process accessible and straightforward for eligible students. According to Mr. Ricardo Jimenez, the Rho Kappa Honor Society moderator, the initiative was deeply rooted in the Marianist mission. As he explained, “By empowering students to help their peers register to vote, the project becomes more than a civic activity—it becomes a lived expression of the Marianist mission.”

For many student leaders, the drive represented an opportunity to encourage civic responsibility among their peers. Margaritha Adras, President of Rho Kappa, emphasized how the initiative helped students become more engaged beyond campus. “I think it’s very important for CMCP to have a voter registration drive because it allows students, like me, to become more involved in their local communities and prepares them for upcoming elections,” she shared. Reflecting on her experience assisting with the drive, Margaritha added that she learned “how impactful young people’s voices can be, but only if they choose to use them.”

The voter registration drive also reflects the school’s commitment to the Characteristics of Marianist Education, particularly its call to educate students to become active and responsible members of their community. The ability to vote helps students recognize that they are not acting as isolated individuals, but rather as members of a broader civic body working toward the common good. By assisting fellow students with registration, participants lived out the Marianist call to educate for service, justice, and peace while developing leadership and civic awareness.

Another student volunteer, Liani Raymond, Historian of Rho Kappa, highlighted the importance of making voter registration both accessible and meaningful for new voters. “Some of our most significant values as a nation are democracy and power to the people,” she explained. “By making voter registration accessible to new eligible voters, we emphasize the importance of that civic responsibility.” Liani also shared her excitement about registering herself, noting that “it felt like I was officially equipped to be an active citizen in the local and federal government.”

Through her role assisting others, Liani also observed challenges that underscored the importance of continued education and encouragement. “I noticed that a lot of people were reluctant to register,” she reflected. “That was concerning because it shows that the importance of voting and exercising the rights we have under the Constitution is not fully understood.” Her experience reinforced the need, she said, “to do more as a community to promote educated voting and using our voice on issues that matter to us.”

In a diverse community like Broward County, the voter registration drive allowed students to engage directly in the democratic process while putting their faith into action. By encouraging participation and reflection, the initiative modeled the Marianist belief that faith is expressed through concrete engagement with the world. In doing so, students demonstrated that civic responsibility, grounded in shared values and community spirit, is essential to living out the Marianist mission—because every vote truly matters.

Update sent by Bro. Jack Ventura, SM

Ministry Lead, Marianist Encounters

Director, Mission Integration Team

Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory

Hollywood, FL