I’m delighted to announce exciting news here on Heartfeldt: a weekly column by Maegan Vazquez. She introduces herself in this first post (a smart and sassy one, I think you’ll agree), so I’ll only say how pleased I am to have her young woman’s lens on all things political. And from a fellow Texan, no less! Join the conversation with Maegan every week and share widely. Take it away, Maegan:

Welcome to my new column!

My name is Maegan Vazquez.  I was born in Laredo, Texas, and I am currently a sophomore at New York University, majoring in journalism.

This weekly column aims to shed some light on college-centric politics. It’s an effort to educate prospective first-time female voters on issues that are pertinent to their demographic. The pieces are part investigative journalism, part Q&A, and part self-discovery.

It’s not that the college-aged female voter needs to be coddled into learning the basics of the political arena.

She just has to be informed so she can make a smart decision, because that decision has the potential to dramatically change her life.

Our demographic is where hot-button political talking points collide: reproductive rights, immigration issues (like the D.R.E.A.M. Act), the wage gap between genders, and student debt, among other key issues. We deserve to know who is looking out for us and who is cutting us out, because we are the product of those issues’ legislative outcomes.

The series will delve into problems unique to my generation of Americans—like comparing how student loans will be affected within a new presidential administration, how to vote through an absentee ballot while away at college, and what key benefits the GOP and Democrats offer to our demographic. I’ll also highlight key student political organizations and discuss their platforms.

As a young woman being thrust into the realities of New York City for college, I think I’ve learned a couple of things over the past year: tip well, don’t wear flip flops on the street, and always carry an umbrella. I’ve also learned about the political power students have because of friends who are passionate enough to strike for their rights through city streets, and schoolmates who run for student senate in an effort to change university policy. However, I’ve been an observer, mostly, rather than an active leader.

Being a singular person who only controls one vote is a quite a harsh reality to face at eighteen. It’s hard to instill confidence in your fellow voters if you feel that they’re misinformed or not informed at all. That’s why this column exists–I want to provide some neutral insight, because I’m still making my own political mind up, too. (I’ll admit that it’s only an attempt at being neutral. “Everything’s objective” right?)

So change your mind, make up your mind, solve all of this administration’s problems, and discover new administration problems—with me.

Look for my pieces every Monday morning, here on the Heartfeldt Blog.

Send news tips to maeganvaz@gmail.com