Lake Michigan College political science student selected to serve on Michigan Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force

BENTON TOWNSHIP, MI – Lake Michigan College political science student Emma Goos of St. Joseph has been named to the nonpartisan Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force by the Michigan Department of State. She will serve in this capacity through the end of 2026.

The task force, which is student-run with support from the Secretary of State's office, brings together students from universities and community colleges across Michigan who are passionate about civic engagement. They will serve as liaisons between the Secretary of State’s office, school administrators, and their student body to ensure that the voices of young people are heard in the election process.

Goos is among 23 college and university students in Michigan selected to serve on the committee from among nearly 100 applicants. The selection process included team interviews with representatives from the Secretary of State's office and a 10-minute elevator pitch on proposed strategies to increase voter engagement.

As one of only five community college representatives on the task force, Goos will focus on addressing the unique challenges faced by commuter students and on ensuring that community colleges are equally represented in statewide civic engagement efforts.

"I want to help people my own age, and people of any age, see why being involved in the election process matters and how all levels of government directly affect their lives," said Goos. "By being on this task force, I hope my work with other college students will help take the veil off of how voting and elections work. I feel that if more people understand the process, more people will participate."

LMC Political Science Instructor Dr. Tiffany Bohm encouraged Goos to apply for the task force. Goos credits her LMC education and Dr. Bohm’s support with providing the foundation and confidence needed to pursue this opportunity.

“I am incredibly proud of Emma for stepping into this leadership role. Civic engagement is not just something we study in political science, it’s something we practice. Emma is exactly the kind of thoughtful, community-minded leader we need,” stated Bohm.

The non-partisan initiative is a partnership between the Michigan Department of State and Campus Vote Project, a project of the Fair Elections Center, a national, nonpartisan voting rights organization. 

Members work on initiatives including designing "I Voted" stickers for the 2026 midterm elections and developing campus-specific programming to increase voter accessibility and participation.

Following her spring semester at LMC, Goos plans to transfer to Michigan State University in the fall to complete her bachelor’s degree in political science. While there, she will continue her task force work representing that institution through the end of the year.