Secretary of State Jeff Bullock announced that Karelin Torres was selected to receive the prestigious 2022 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award. The award, in honor of the late Congressman John Lewis, recognizes a gifted, civic-minded young Delawarean who has demonstrated leadership abilities, has a passion for social justice, and is improving the quality of life in their community. This is the first time that a Delaware Secretary of State has honored an individual with such an award.
“Karelin’s work in educating and encouraging non-English speaking Delawareans to vote in the 2022 Elections exemplified Congressman Lewis’s mission,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “Young people across our state are rising to the challenge and working to make a difference in all sectors of their communities. This was shown by the number of outstanding nominations that we received last year, and I am proud that my office can showcase a changemaker each year.”
The John Lewis Youth Leadership Award was established in 2021 by the National Association of Secretaries of State to honor the extraordinary accomplishments of the late Congressman John Lewis. His courageous achievements during the Civil Rights Movement and his long tenure of public service have inspired and will continue to inspire Americans for generations to come.
Torres was active with the Votamos We Vote Coalition—a collection of Latinx civic engagement organizations in Delaware dedicated to registering and encouraging Hispanic citizens to vote. Through the Entre Nosotras Program, a radio program on a Spanish-language station in Sussex County, Torres worked to promote election information ahead of the 2022 Elections, including how to register to vote, information about candidates, and the mail-in voting process. Through storytelling, Torres helped shaped the listeners’ views on the importance of voting, particularly for first-generation Americans, and ultimately inspired individuals to cast their ballots for the first time.
“I am forever grateful to my mother, Cruz Maria Alba, for all the sacrifices she has ever made for me. I am thankful to my community for always providing support and I would not be capable of doing this work without the guidance of Carla Guerrón-Montero and Charito Calvachi-Mateyko. Finally, I want to thank the ACLU of Delaware, Mike Brickner and Meera Deevota for bringing me in as a part of their team,” said Karelin Torres, 2022 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award recipient.
In addition to spreading information about the 2022 Elections, Torres worked with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Delaware to recruit bilingual poll workers to polling places across the State of Delaware. Currently, visibility of bilingual poll workers to help break barriers, including language barriers, is critically low. Torres’ activism and passion to address this issue led to the recruitment of a number of bilingual poll workers and she partnered with the Delaware Department of Elections to place them in polling places that were likely to have a high traffic of Spanish speakers. As a result of her efforts, every bilingual poll worker was able to wear a button that said, “Hablo Español” (I speak Spanish), indicating to voters that they had an advocate in the room that would assist them.
“Karelin is a remarkable advocate and I have been in awe of her passion to champion civic engagement in Delaware’s Latino community,” said Mike Brickner, Executive Director of the ACLU of Delaware. “The right to vote is foundational to every other right, and Karelin’s work to ensure every eligible voter can cast a ballot means that more Latinos are weighing in on critical issues that face their communities. Importantly, Karelin has led other forms of civic engagement beyond voting to ensure that those who are not yet citizens and eligible to vote can still make their voices heard. She epitomizes John Lewis’ spirit of ‘Good Trouble’ and I am delighted she is being recognized.”
Nominations for the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award are open in the Fall of each year.
Eligibility requirements for the Award include:
- The nominee must be a resident of the State of Delaware.
- The nominee must be 25 years or younger by the close of the application submission window.
- The nominee is recognized in their community for being civic-minded and improving the quality of life in their community.
- The nominee has shown a meaningful commitment to address civil rights issues, including but not limited to voting rights, and to authentically bring about positive change in his or her community.
Submissions for nominations for the 2023 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award will open later in the year. To learn more about the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award, visit de.gov/johnlewisaward