Lake Michigan College Receives National Recognition for Student Voter Engagement

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – Lake Michigan College has garnered two national awards for its efforts to engage students in the 2024 election process.

LMC student Renato Recillas of Fennville has been named to the 2025 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. This honor recognizes student leaders nationwide who excel in supporting their peers with voter registration, providing nonpartisan resources, and ensuring eligible college students can cast informed ballots. 

Recillas, the only community college student from Michigan to receive this distinction, is among just 232 students nationwide to be included on the Honor Roll. During Fall 2024, he collaborated with LMC Political Science faculty member Dr. Tiffany Bohm to host various events and activities designed to educate students about the election process and foster civic engagement.

Additionally, LMC has been designated a 2025 Voter Friendly Campus by Fair Elections Center's Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. This marks the fifth consecutive year the College has received this prestigious designation. 

The Voter Friendly Campus initiative recognized 272 colleges and universities that implemented effective practices to encourage student participation in the political process and help eligible students overcome barriers to voting. 

LMC earned this designation after rigorous evaluation of its written plan to register, educate, and mobilize student voters in 2024, its campus-wide voter engagement implementation, and final analysis of these efforts – all spearheaded by Dr. Bohm. As one of only 47 community colleges to receive this recognition, LMC stands out among institutions serving collectively over four million students across diverse two-year, four-year, public, private, rural, and urban campuses.  

"Our goal is to provide Lake Michigan College students with nonpartisan support that opens the door to a lifetime of informed civic engagement and empowers them to have their voice heard," stated Dr. Bohm. "We are excited to have our work recognized through these awards and to see the results of our efforts through the active participation of our students in the voting process." 

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About NASPA 

NASPA is a leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession. Its work provides high-quality professional development, advocacy, and research for 15,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries, and 8 U.S. territories.

About Fair Elections Center 

Fair Elections Center is a non-partisan organization dedicated to safeguarding the future of our democracy through innovative efforts focused on voting rights and civic engagement. Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project works with universities, community colleges, faculty, students and election officials to reduce barriers to student voting and helps campuses institutionalize reforms that empower students with the information needed to register and vote.

About ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge:  

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student civic engagement. Through an intentionally designed program that provides structure, support, and recognition, ALL IN works to improve civic learning, voter participation, and ongoing engagement in our democracy at more than 1,200 campuses nationwide. ALL IN is an initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. 

ABOUT Civic Nation: 

Civic Nation is a nonprofit ecosystem for high impact organizing and education initiatives working to build a more inclusive and equitable America. Civic Nation shifts culture, systems, and policy by bringing together individuals, grassroots organizers, industry leaders, and influencers to tackle some of our nation’s most pressing social challenges. Civic Nation is home to seven national initiatives and campaigns: ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, Change Collective, It’s On Us, We The Action, and When We All Vote.