The League of Women Voters of Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville’s Helene Lecar Civic Engagement Program is designed to give high school and community college students experience with voter education, civic engagement, and community action. Over this summer, two students have been working with the LWVBAE as interns, Isabelle Oppelt and Muqadas Akram.

Isabelle is a recent graduate of Berkeley High School, serving as a current and former communications intern. She first worked with the LWVBAE in the fall of 2024 before returning this summer to serve again. “I think what first drew me to interning with the League was my interest in learning more about how successful voter education can happen, especially during an election year. What drew me back was the incredible community in the League and my deepened interest in politics that I developed during my initial internship with them.”

Muqadas is a community college student at Berkeley City College. There, she is a Legal Studies major, which is what first drew her to the Criminal Justice Internship this summer. “The LWVBAE internship gave me a chance to explore criminal justice in a hands-on way, especially from a community and advocacy perspective.” As part of that exploration, Muqadas is also interested in furthering her understanding of how racial bias interacts with the criminal justice system.

Over their time with the League, both interns have worked hard in their respective roles to provide education and information to League members and their community. Muqadas has attended City of Berkeley Police Accountability Board Meetings, sat in on a city council meeting, and written several articles on behalf of the criminal justice team. As a communications intern, Isabelle has helped out with everything from writing articles, managing the LWVBAE’s social media pages, giving live social media updates during virtual candidate forums, and assisting the communications team in many other ways. Additionally, both interns have interacted with the public directly, mainly through community outreach events such as the Solano Stroll. Their overall efforts with the League have made a big difference in providing voters with much-needed knowledge on important political topics.

As their internships come to a close in the next several weeks, both interns reflect on the knowledge they have gained throughout their time with the League. “[My internship has] helped me think more deeply about the criminal justice system and how change really happens at the local level,” Maquadas said about her experience in the criminal justice internship. “I really have valued my time working with the League.” Isabelle said. “I feel like as a woman in America, it’s important to educate myself on the political topics that affect me and those around me. Also, as I continue my education at UC Santa Cruz next year, I’m interested in incorporating what I’ve learned from the League about voter education into my studies as a sociology major.”

–Isabelle Oppelt