Starting a new chapter of a national organization on campus, this student group co-founder encourages other young women to find their voice
Laurenlee Dominguez 鈥�21 knew she found something special when she encountered IGNITE, a national organization that helps young women find their voice and encourages them to be civically and politically engaged. The organization has more than 200 chapters on high school and college campuses across America鈥攊ncluding one at Villanova, thanks to Laurenlee鈥檚 initiative.
鈥淚GNITE fosters a safe space for everyone, no matter their political differences,鈥� says Laurenlee, who graduated from Villanova鈥檚 School of Business in May 2021 with a triple major in Finance, Accounting and International Business.
Drawing on her experience as a first-year student helping to re-establish the Latin American Student Organization on campus, Laurenlee worked with three other students to found IGNITE at Villanova in August 2020.
Despite the pandemic, they organized activities like voter registration drives, panel discussions with elected women and candidates, policy workshops, and, most importantly, difficult conversations about important topics.
鈥淗ow do we reconcile differences? IGNITE works so well, because people feel open to speak within the bounds of being respectful, making everyone feel valued and heard,鈥� Laurenlee explains. 鈥淭here鈥檚 power in just listening, even if no one agrees.鈥�
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