Annual Youth Initiative Contest
Be Empowered. Every Vote Defends Democracy

Caitlin Cruz

Alamo Colleges/Ready To Work

College Winner
Written Word
First Place

Artist’s Statement

“The Echo of Every Vote” was inspired by the generations who fought for the right to participate in democracy—and by the realization that their struggle continues today in new forms. I wanted to blend past and present, showing that empowerment comes not only from speaking but from remembering. Every vote is more than a civic act; it is an expression of gratitude and responsibility. My goal was to create an emotional connection between readers and the history that made their voices possible. I hope this poem reminds people—especially young voters—that democracy lives only when we do.

The Echo of Every Vote
They once marched on roads that cracked beneath their tired feet,
their voices rising like thunder against storms of silence.
They dreamed of a day when their children’s names
would be written in the story of democracy — not in its margins.

That dream lives in me.

When I step into the voting booth,
I feel their hands guiding mine—
the hands that once held protest signs,
letters to Congress, and one another in faith.

They fought to open the door.
Now it’s my turn to keep it open.

The past whispers lessons;
the present demands action.
Back then, they battled laws that denied them.
Today, we battle voices that divide us.
Different wars, same purpose:
to defend the promise that every voice matters.

A vote is not a box checked.
It’s a heartbeat—
steady, collective, alive.
Miss one, and democracy falters.
But when we all rise, the sound becomes a symphony.

I vote for those who couldn’t,
for those who still fight to be seen,
for the future that depends on our courage.
Because every ballot cast is a bridge across time,
linking the strength of the past
to the hope of the present
and the promise of tomorrow.

Democracy is not something we inherit;
it’s something we defend.

Every vote defends democracy—and mine will echo the loudest.