Taylor Martin: Turning Passion for Civic Engagement Into National Impact
By: Olivia Barclay, UofL Class of 25, 27 – June 3, 2026
For Taylor Martin, a passion for civic engagement did not happen overnight. It grew through curiosity, education, and a desire to make a difference. As a high school student in Kentucky, she began to see how informed, engaged young people could influence their communities and the world around them, setting her on a path that would eventually lead her to the University of Louisville and a career supporting student leadership nationwide.
Generation Citizen is a national nonprofit that encourages students to get involved in community-based civics education through hands-on participation. Their goal is to teach young people how to become active citizens through legislative advocacy, coalition building, and leadership development. From increasing mental health access for immigrant students in Rhode Island to addressing an energy crisis in Texas, Generation Citizen empowers high school students to contribute to a better future.
As South Region Program Manager, Martin supports teachers in Kentucky, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Texas as they guide student-led policy projects. In these projects, students identify an issue at the state or local level that directly impacts their community and take action to address it. Martin explains, “It's going to be the students who are driving the discussions, having those difficult conversations, reaching out to elected officials, inviting them to their classroom, championing certain bills, or putting that on an agenda.”
Some of the students Martin works with have spoken at town meetings, leading to real policy change and reinforcing the importance of youth voices. “My favorite is seeing the growth of the students and their leadership.” In one recent project, a group of high school students in Oklahoma successfully advocated for a traffic light in front of their school. Initially unsure of where to start, they are now regular participants in town hall meetings to ensure their voices are heard. Martin admits she often becomes emotional when teachers share photos of students in action, whether they are addressing elected officials or proudly standing beside the traffic light they helped bring to life. “We are a nonpartisan organization. At the end of the day, we just want to champion student voice, and that goes across party lines.”
At Generation Citizen, Martin continues to grow through ongoing professional development. “I’m open to constantly learning and recognizing that I don’t always know everything, and I never will.” Her commitment to personal growth is rooted in her time as a student at the University of Louisville.
Taylor Martin is a two-time graduate from the University of Louisville. During her time with us, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science followed by a Master of Arts in Political Science. As an undergraduate student, Martin sought out internship experiences related to social justice to explore the variety of career paths available to her after graduation. She began as early as her sophomore year, working at the Iroquois Library assisting with immigrant support services. The following year, she interned at Kentucky Refugee Ministries in the Family and Youth Department, where she led educational programs for both children and adults.
As her interest in serving marginalized communities grew, she pursued a legal internship during her senior year. While she is grateful for that experience, she realized that law school was not the right path for her. These hands-on experiences helped Martin better understand what she did and did not want in a career, allowing her to refine her goals.
Martin attributes her success at Generation Citizen to the experiences she had as a student at UofL. As a Student Success Ambassador, she worked closely with first-year students as a mentor and connected them with resources that support academic, emotional, and social success. She also collaborated with professors, an experience that mirrors her current role where working with teachers is essential to student success in policy projects.
Despite mentoring others, Martin needed guidance of her own while considering her future. She turned to the University Career Center, where she met Career Coach and Associate Director for Student Engagement, Erin Heakin. “It was very helpful. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. She helped build my confidence and recognized what I brought to the table and that I should be compensated for my skill set. That was a big shift because I adjusted what roles I was looking at.” As a graduate student, Martin continued meeting with Heakin, gaining the clarity and confidence needed to enter the workforce and fully understand her strengths in youth-focused initiatives.
Martin also relied heavily on networking, which eventually led her to discover Generation Citizen on LinkedIn. Through her work with the University Career Center, she learned the value of building connections and seeking guidance from established women in her field. “I was really intentional about connecting with people in Kentucky who were in the field that I wanted because those people repost opportunities.” It was through one of these connections that she found and applied for her current role at Generation Citizen.
Based on her experiences with Erin Heakin and the University Career Center, Martin urges students to take advantage of mentorship and career development through UofL resources as much as possible. Since networking played a key role in helping her discover Generation Citizen and her current position, she encourages students to seek out opportunities through the connections they build. By trusting the process, she participated in informational interviews with women she admired, gained valuable advice, and thoughtfully shaped her career path.
As a Program Manager at Generation Citizen, Martin reminds students of the importance of civic education and how Cardinals can use their voices for good. “Community-based civics education has been proven to be a depolarizing factor in our political landscape, which is really important when bridging party lines. We're not future leaders. We're leaders now.”
Connect with Taylor Martin on LinkedIn to follow her continued growth and impact in empowering student voices. Interested in recruiting University of Louisville students and alumni who are passionate about their field and want to make a difference in the world? Connect with the University Career Center (ulcareer@louisville.edu) to learn how to engage with UofL talent or to recommend a student or employer for a future feature. We look forward to hearing from you.
Want to read more about the University Career Center? Check out our UCC Stories page for more career success stories just like this one.
