With the 2024 presidential election less than three weeks away, individuals begin to significantly devote time to research and understand the democratic process they will engage in by November 5. For several teenage voters, this feat may feel overwhelming; with an array of resources at their disposal, the onslaught of information can pose a challenge. However, when it comes to magnet senior Pamela Musungu, the chance to dive headfirst into democracy fills her with a sense of pride — a feeling she aims to instill in her fellow peers as they head to the ballot box. 

“I was 17 and a half when I registered to vote. I honestly registered because I planned to vote in this upcoming election, and I knew you could register in Georgia when you were 17 and a half. It was a small thing for me but still important considering this election’s past and current state. It’s my first time voting and I am voting for myself, my future self, my peers, my family and everyone I love,” Musungu said. 

As an involved member of NC’s International Studies magnet program, Musungu has received exposure to the inner workings of democracy within the U.S., as well as overseas. The lessons learned in classes such as Advanced Placement (AP) World History and AP United States History helped inspire her to attain hands-on experience immersed in a different culture. With the support of her teachers and peers, Musungu applied for and received acceptance to the U.S. Department of State’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program to study Hindi abroad in India. 

 Although her trip did not predominantly focus on democracy or civics, Musungu gained a significant understanding of how civic engagement appeared in Indian culture and also grew to understand how different upbringings may impact people’s ideals of government. Through forging relationships with the cohort she traveled with, Musungu also learned about a diversity of political perspectives, and how those ideals played a unique role in her classmates’ motivations for participating in NSLI-Y. Upon her return home, the eager student utilized both the stories of her cohort, as well as her time living in a community dissimilar to the U.S., to fuel her eagerness to civically engage back at home. 

Through her leadership in organizations such as Beta Club, Down Seven Up Eight and Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA), Musungu enriches herself with new perspectives every day of her friends and classmates. As she continues to inform herself about the policies of candidates on the 2024 ballot, she anticipates that her vote can forge a difference for her community. The recognition of her privilege to express herself politically in her home country does not fall short on her; if anything, it motivates Musungu even further to cast her vote. 

“[Studying abroad with NSLI-Y] made me more aware of just how democratic America is, and how everyone in the U.S. should be a little more grateful that they get to express their political ideologies so publically. If I could speak to any NC student who isn’t eligible to vote, I would tell them how important it is to use their voice. In the past, elections have been super close so every single vote matters. A vote for no one IS a vote for someone,” Musungu said.