Dr. Jamie Lennahan, associate professor of political science, holds many titles in her day-to-day life. Wife, mother, educator, and more recently, national award winner.
Dr. Lennahan was one of only two national winners of the Standout Faculty Member award from ALL IN, a nonpartisan group that engages 977 educational institutions and encourages them to promote active and informed citizenship and make voting a core value on campus.
She was recognized for her dedication to motivating civic engagement at Germanna during the 2022 midterm election.
“Getting students to vote is the first step,” she says. “But my goal is for students to leave my class with a toolbox full of ways that they can engage in their communities and affect change.”
For ten years, Dr. Lennahan has encouraged young voters and taught a variety of political science courses at Germanna, educating her students on government, politics, and international affairs. But it was just ten years ago when she found herself taking a break from academia—a situation she never imagined for herself.
“Though my educational journey was very traditional, I had an incredibly non-traditional workforce experience,” says Dr. Lennahan. She attended St. Michaels College where she double majored in political science and English literature and after graduating, she decided to go straight into her PhD program at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
“I was good at being a student, so I didn’t want to take any time off after graduating with my bachelor’s degree,” she says.
But after finishing up her PhD program, she decided to stay at home to raise her baby and be with her family.
After relocating to Fredericksburg in 2008 with her family, Dr. Lennahan was ready to return to academia. She noticed an open teaching position at Germanna that seemed like a perfect fit.
“I thought to myself, ‘Well I’ll apply, but I’m sure I won’t get it.’ But I got the job, and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to get the opportunity to do what I loved, which was teaching.”
Since her undergraduate career, Dr. Lennahan knew she wanted to be a professor in higher education.
“Going to a small liberal arts school allowed me to build close relationships with my professors. They really encouraged me, and I felt seen by them. I wanted to do for students what was done for me.”
And not only is she making an impact in the classroom, Dr. Lennahan is changing how her students view voting and politics.
“We’re in an environment where people are nervous to take political science classes because they think professors may be pushing an agenda," she says. "But for me, it’s really important to stay nonpartisan when teaching and interacting with my students. When you help students understand the value of their vote in a nonpartisan way, they are naturally more receptive.”
She also presents real data to her students, showing how their vote matters.
“The 18-24 vote in 2020 helped Biden win the election. We’ve seen in the past few elections that youth participation has been higher than average. And that makes the difference. When you can show students that their vote influenced the election, that encourages them," she says.
As preparation for the 2024 presidential election is already underway, Dr. Lennahan says it’ll take a lot of work to match the 2020 young voter turnout, but she’s ready to help in any way she can.
In the future, Dr. Lennahan hopes to develop ways for students at Germanna to engage with and encourage each other to vote.
As Dr. Lennahan reflects on the last ten years, she sees parallels between her journey and those of her students.
“I think my experience with having to take time off for my family and change my timeline gives me insight into what some of my students experience," she says. "Every semester, I have a student who comes back because they now have the space and time to pursue their goals. It’s inspiring to see them come back into the classroom.”
Dr. Lennahan hopes to continue making her students feel seen and valued and forming lasting interactions that shape them—just as her professors in undergrad did for her.