Youth Role Models
Merrit Jones
Activist and Non-profit Founder
Bio
Merrit Jones (age 23) is the board president of Student Voice, a South Carolina nonprofit. Her work centers around helping young people unleash the power of their own voices and take ownership of their own learning. Jones’ organization is committed to fostering an education system where students and adults work as partners to create meaningful change. Jones also founded and runs a consulting division whose clients include Teach for America and Dell. In 2021 she was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Education. She is currently a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying education policy. Learn more about her work here.
Check out Student Voice on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
In the News
“Having young people at the table who are able to recognize this issue and call it out is crucial in ensuring that we have a curriculum and testing that is reflective of the young people impacted by them.”
Special Note: The Center for Youth Political Participation, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University or any of its affiliates, are not directly connected or affiliated with the following individual. This page is to be utilized as a teaching tool for the RU Ready in the Classroom program.