Marizú Weller Rios came to the University of Miami committed to public service, already the founder of her own nonprofit organization benefiting her native Guatemala. The rising senior turned to the George P. Hanley Democracy Center to expand her reach and become an even stronger advocate for her community.
Established in 2022 through the generosity of its namesake donor, the George P. Hanley Democracy Center brings students, scholars, policymakers, and public officials together in service of democracy. Students run the center and earn school credit through its internship program.
“The Hanley Democracy Center works hard to cultivate citizenship among students, to advance the campus conversation about democratic politics, and to promote faculty research on democratic institutions,” said Gregory Koger, director of the center and professor of political science.
Weller Rios has worked with the Hanley Democracy Center for more than a year, first as an events intern and then as a civic synergy intern, leading students in drafting policy proposals for community leaders. She will return in the fall to organize events connecting pioneers in policy and politics with students.
Once she graduates with her degree in political science and public administration, Weller Rios hopes to make a difference through government work or the nonprofit sector.
“At the George P. Hanley Democracy Center, I can cultivate a better understanding of democracy and civil discourse by asking questions and receiving advice from the people I meet there,” she said.
For rising junior Evan Rydingsword, the Hanley Democracy Center exposed him to a kaleidoscope of ideas and opinions.
He first came to the center to learn more about policy issues affecting Miami-Dade County. He was impressed to find students from diverse backgrounds debating respectfully and collaborating to find creative policy solutions for their shared communities.
“The experience was like nothing else I’ve ever seen before,” Rydingsword said. “We discussed current issues from a variety of perspectives and debated the best path forward with the utmost respect and common goal of working together.”
Since joining the center as an intern, he has held several leadership roles, including team coordinator on its Civic Synergy team, an initiative that bridges partisan divides to develop practical policy solutions; assistant director of outreach and engagement, connecting community leaders with student policy presentations; and editor-in-chief for the Hanley Democracy Center newsletter, which highlights the work of students and faculty making strides in their communities and in academia.
Learning more about the intersection of law and politics has only solidified his decision to attend law school after graduation.
Recent graduate Emily Danzinger will be a first-year law student at Georgetown University this fall, a feat she says stands testament to the Hanley Center’s impact.
She said attending the center’s event with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson inspired her to become a trailblazer in the legal profession, too.
During her two years at the Hanley Democracy Center, she worked as director of student relations. She also helped launch the Civic Deliberation program, which challenges students to form policy proposals for Miami-Dade County.
“The Hanley Center gave me access to people and opportunities I never thought possible for myself before,” she said. “The people I met there showed me that I could do the impossible—fostering positive change in areas that many might perceive as unchangeable.”
After law school, Danzinger hopes to work as a legal advocate with the American Civil Liberties Union or the Brennan Center for Justice.
“The Hanley Democracy Center changed my life,” Danzinger said, “and prepared me to march into my next chapter of life ready to make a difference.”
Learn more about the Hanley Democracy Center.
