Citlaly Vasquez has been volunteering with the ACLU of Arizona since last December, where she serves as a core member of the organization’s youth group. For Citlaly, volunteering is an opportunity to give back to her community and help educate people about the issues affecting them.
Originally from West Phoenix, Citlaly is a first-generation student at Arizona State University. She credits her education with helping her better understand the challenges facing her community.
“I think it [education] gave me the opportunity to see why these things happen, and also makes me realize I’m privileged to have an education, unlike my parents or my siblings… I think my education, especially higher education, gave me an eye-opening experience.”
When Citlaly first joined ACLU of Arizona as a volunteer, she was already familiar with the organization and its work, which aligned with her own interests. After speaking with a democracy organizer about establishing a youth group, she decided to get involved.
Her motivation for joining ultimately came down to one thing: helping her community.
“Coming from a low-income area and also being a first-generation student, I want to educate my community about issues they’re impacted by,” says Vasquez.
Citlaly also emphasizes the importance of including young people who can advocate from a place of lived experience. She describes the ACLU of Arizona’s youth team as “mostly people who are impacted by the issues.”
As a core member of the youth group, Citlaly attends Friday meetings, helps plan recruitment programs, and coordinates logistics for upcoming events. Beyond organizing and planning, however, what she enjoys most is the relationships she has built with fellow volunteers.
Her favorite part of volunteering is “working with the other volunteers. We’re basically hanging out but also helping the community too.”
With upcoming elections approaching, Citlaly says the youth team is excited to become more involved. Their plans include organizing a block party and poll monitoring on Election Day.
For Citlaly, volunteering with the ACLU of Arizona has given her the opportunity to connect with other young people who are committed to uplifting their communities and are taking an active role in addressing issues that affect them.
When asked what she would say to others considering getting involved with the ACLU, her answer is simple: “Everybody should volunteer.”
