Inside Niedbala Auditorium at East Stroudsburg University, voter registration was part of a gathering that brought college students, high school students, parents, and educators together. Some were old enough to vote in the upcoming election. Others were still years away from casting their first ballot. But everyone had something at stake in the decisions being made about their future.

On Saturday, October 17, those conversations took center stage at the Citizen Latina conference, where one question stood out: If young people will inherit the future, how can they have a voice in shaping it?

Co-hosted by MANA, A National Latina Organization, and its East Stroudsburg University chapter, the conference brought generations together under the theme “Elevate Your Voice.” The event focused on the importance of voting and helping young people understand how decisions made by elected leaders affect their schools, healthcare, families, and communities.

For Oliana Cole, president of MANA de ESU, the answer begins with understanding what a vote truly represents.

“It’s not just you checking off a name on the ballot. It means more than that. It’s your future,” Cole said. “It shapes your generation, the people after you, your children. It just matters to vote.”

Her words carried an important message as Pennsylvania prepares for the November midterm elections. Decisions made by elected officials can affect education, healthcare, and the resources available to families and communities.

Each year, about four million Americans turn 18 and become eligible to vote. Yet fewer than 30% of newly eligible young people typically register during midterm election years, according to figures shared by MANA. For organizers, these numbers point to the importance of teaching young people about voting before they reach the ballot box.

Throughout the day, students learned how elections connect to issues that affect their lives. Parents and educators also joined conversations about preparing the next generation to become informed voters. The conference included voter registration opportunities through Fair Future Initiative Cooperative Inc.

Students shared their views during a panel called “The Electoral Power of Students,” moderated by MANA National President and CEO Amy Hinojosa.

Among the student leaders was Celeste Yunez-Cosme, vice president of MANA de ESU. A senior studying biology, she hopes to work in healthcare and help people whose concerns are often overlooked.

“If you’re not willing to fight for yourselves, why would somebody else be willing to fight for you?” Yunez-Cosme asked, recalling a message she shared during the panel.

She explained that some people do not vote because they believe someone else will do it or that one ballot cannot make a difference. Her message challenged that thinking and encouraged people to recognize their responsibility in decisions that affect their lives.

Her interest in healthcare also shows why elections matter beyond politics. Decisions about healthcare can affect families, patients, and the communities she hopes to serve.

Cole shares that belief in the importance of having a voice. As a young Black and Hispanic woman studying sport management and pre-law, she understands why representation matters in leadership and public service.

“When I’m able to look up to people who look like me and then also younger people who are able to look up to me, it just gives them motivation to continue going,” Cole explained.

For both students, encouraging young people to vote begins with helping them believe that their voices deserve to be heard.

“Don’t be afraid to take up space,” Cole said.

Yunez-Cosme shared a similar message: “Don’t be quiet and don’t shrink down to try to fit somebody else’s standards. Create your own.”

As the conference came to an end, its message reached beyond the university. Voting is not simply an event that happens every few years. It is a way for eligible citizens to have a say in the decisions affecting their families, schools, healthcare, and communities.

For those still too young to vote, learning about elections today can prepare them to make informed choices tomorrow.

Some of the young people in the room cannot vote yet. But they are already growing up in a world shaped by the choices of those who can.