2025 Youth Leadership Award

2025 Award Winner
Sofia Fuller
Lawrence High School

Sofia Fuller co-created the Advocates for Innocence Club, a chapter of the Innocence Project. For the November 2024 election, the Advocates for Innocence Club partnered with the League of Women Voters and organized a voter registration drive at Lawrence High School. She met members of the League, learned about their deep commitment to civic engagement, and was inspired to follow in their path of civic service.

Sofia became a poll worker for the November 2024 election, assisting with polling station setup and management; ensuring compliance with election procedures; supporting voters throughout the process; and contributing to maintaining the integrity and efficiency of election day operations. She continued as a poll worker this month for the NJ Primary Election.

Sofia’s involvement in voter service made her keenly aware of the importance of volunteers who support our democratic process, and of the urgent need for more young volunteers to get involved in defending voting rights. Congratulations, Sofia!

2025 YLA Presentation

The Lawrence League of Women Voters 2025 Youth Leadership Award

The League of Women Voters of Lawrence Township (LWVLT) has awarded its Annual Youth Leadership Awards for 2025. The LWVLT is part of a state and national nonpartisan civic organization open to women, men, and students. The LWVLT primarily serves Lawrence, Trenton, Hamilton and Ewing, and high school seniors from throughout the area are encouraged to apply.

The LWVLT awarded $750 to two high school seniors who exemplified Youth Civic Leadership in their communities. Past awardees have launched creative and effective campaigns promoting voter education, participation and social justice in their schools and communities.

"The League of Women Voters of Lawrence Township believes that the students of Mercer County are our valued future leaders," says LWVLT Board Member and Award Chairperson Kieanna Childs Alexander. "As an expression of our efforts to empower our future leaders, and to help them continue their education, we encourage all students to apply for our Youth Leadership Award."

Award requirements are intentionally broad to encourage applications from students conducting non-traditional forms of civic action and education.

2025 Award Winner
Peyton Ivey
Lawrence High School

Peyton Ivey first became a poll worker in the General Election of November 2024 and repeated her service in this month’s Primary Election. Voter service is a family affair for Peyton. In November, she and her grandmother were stationed at the same polling place. During her fifteen-hour shift, Peyton teamed up with people who were equally passionate about working to ensure that every vote cast was safely counted.

Peyton also collaborated with her mother in creating two separate voter education Multimedia Interactive Civics Exhibits at the Conservatory Mansion in Trenton. These exhibits were designed to help voters prepare for Election Day with voting information, video clips, podcasts, forums and articles about each of Trenton’s City Council and Mayoral candidates.

She has attended candidate forums and worked at a table on Main Street in Lawrenceville in support of a candidate for the Lawrence Township Board of Education. She continually reaches out to her high school peers to encourage them to vote by sharing voter information and directing them to voter registration services. Congratulations, Peyton!