A passionate activist, a dedicated student studying Government and International Politics, and an inspiring role model for college women interested in politics, Isabella D’Alacio is empowering GMU’s campus as President of Ignite GMU.
IGNITE is a national organization that connects young Gen Z women with women who are running for office, and helps young women to harness their political power, become civically engaged, and run for office. IGNITE empowers young women by providing them with internships, mentoring sessions, resources for running for office, conferences and networking opportunities.
After discovering IGNITE National on Instagram, D’Alacio decided to look further into how she could bring the program to GMU’s campus.
“I saw they were having a conference in February the weekend before my birthday, so I asked my mom if this could be my birthday present,” she said. “So I went to New York on a whim by myself to scope out what IGNITE was and see if I was interested. I really loved it and thought it was powerful, so I thought why not start a college chapter?”
After meeting with and gathering resources from IGNITE National, she created the GMU chapter shortly thereafter and began recruiting members this semester.
When asked about what the chapter is focusing on this semester, D’Alacio shared “right now we’re really focusing a lot on the election and doing voter outreach, making sure that people are registered to vote, and out voting for all levels of office.”
As President and founder of GMU’s chapter of IGNITE, activism is clearly a strong passion for D’Alacios. Her motivation to help others started at home, where she was inspired by her grandparents.
D’Alacio’s grandfather came to the United States from Cuba and became politically active, running for president of Miami Beach unions. His campaign focused on worker’s rights — something incredibly important to her family, as her grandmother worked four jobs to raise her four children alone after coming to the U.S. from Cuba.
“I think that they have always been my inspiration when it comes to making a difference. They came here and set the foundations for my family to feel safe and accepted in this country, and now I’m here to change the things that I can’t accept.”
D’Alacio also finds inspiration from the powerful women in her life — people like her mother, grandmother, best friend Maria, and the young women she’s able to work with through IGNITE. Her advice to high school or college-age women that are interested in politics is to find what your passion is and run with it.
“As long as you’re doing things because you care about the betterment of yourself, the people around you, and your community, you’re doing it for the right reasons, and when you’re doing things for the right reasons, opportunities will come your way,” advised D’Alacio. “Never forget what you’re fighting for. Take as many classes as you can, learn as much as you can about different things that you never thought you would, and expand your mind, because the more you do that the more you grow, and the more you learn how to solidify your voice — and that’s what really matters in politics”.
As the GMU chapter of IGNITE continues to grow, the direction of the group is in great hands. D’Alacio sees a bright future for the women on Mason’s campus and is ready to help anyone looking to harness their political power and declare their political ambition.
“In the future, we really want to make an inclusive space and environment for young women on campus to learn more about politics, learn more about what they can do in their communities, and give them the professionalism and inspiration to grow as young women leaders.”