Will you chip in $5 today to help us fuel our organizing work in Arizona and then read Chris’s introduction below?

Friends,

I want to take a second to introduce myself. My name is Kieran Elia & I’m Rise’s new State Director for Arizona. I’ve been organizing in Arizona for over a decade–I first got involved in an effort to defeat Joe Arpaio after seeing the inhumane treatment a member of my family was subjected to during a summer in Arpaio’s infamous Tent City jail. But over that decade I’ve seen a movement emerge in Arizona that has changed structures of power for the better. I joined Rise to expand that movement to include students.

At Rise, we believe that every student deserves access to a quality education without the burden of crushing debt. We advocate for free college education, champion students’ basic needs on campus, and strive to build political power within our colleges.

As the new Arizona State Director, I am deeply committed to advancing our mission and empowering students across the state to make their voices heard. Through our Rise University program, we will provide comprehensive training on organizing tactics, equipping young leaders with the skills they need to effect real change in their lives.

But our work doesn’t stop there. We cultivate strong relationships with elected officials at both the statewide and local levels, advocating for solutions to the pressing issues facing students and youth in Arizona. Whether it’s addressing the affordability of higher education or ensuring access to essential resources on campus, Rise Arizona is at the forefront of the fight for change.

One of our core initiatives this year is to energize student voters at three of Arizona’s major universities: Arizona State University, University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University. We believe in the power of youth voices at the ballot box and are committed to expanding our outreach efforts through relational organizing, reaching even more young people and empowering them to be active participants in the democratic process.

My major goal for Arizona? To build a movement of students that organize for power, show up at the polls, and demand their voices are heard. Young voices are too often overlooked in the halls of power. At Rise Arizona, we will serve as a center for student engagement and civic life to ensure those voices are heard.

With your help, we’ll give students the resources and support needed to build a student movement in Arizona.

None of this work is possible without your support. Will you make a contribution today and fuel Rise’s youth organizing in Arizona?

Kieran Elia
Rise Arizona State Director