ENACT: The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation

Student Delegates

ENACT student delegates are appointed to foster civic engagement on their college campus and facilitate engagement and interaction with ENACT Ambassadors, students and alumni around the country. In addition, student delegates mentor and collaborate with members of campus clubs to help them become more effective citizen advocates at the state legislative level.

2024-25 Student Delegates

Clay Napurano ’24

Clay is a recent graduate of Brandeis University with a B.A. in history with minors in legal studies and environmental studies. Clay took "Advocacy for Policy Change," the Brandeis ENACT course in the spring of 2024. Through this course he advocated for the "Drought Bill" allowing for equitable regulation of water resources in times of extreme drought. In high school Clay spearheaded an ordinance in his hometown of Natick, Mass. banning plastic straws and stirrers.  

“I’m excited to be serving as an ENACT Student Delegate to help support local advocacy work,” says Napurano.

 

Vishni Samaraweera ’23

Vishni Samaraweera is a current Master’s of Science in Global Health student at Georgetown University. She recently graduated Brandeis University in May of 2023 with a B.S. in Health: Science, Society, Policy. Vishni took the Brandeis ENACT course, "Advocacy for Policy Change," in the spring of 2023 where she focused on the I AM Bill. By focusing on the I AM bill, Vishni advocated for menstrual equity at the Massachusetts State House and in community spaces in Massachusetts.

Vishni is passionate about equitable health policy and giving students an opportunity to be part of legislative change. She is excited to be an ENACT student delegate!

 

Alaina Vermilya ’24

Alaina Vermilya graduated from Brandeis University in May 2024 with a B.A. in sociology. She also minored in women's, gender, and sexuality studies; education studies; and social justice & social policy. In Spring 2024, she took "Advocacy for Policy Change," where she advocated for H.534/S.2491: "An Act to increase access to disposable menstrual products."

“I’m extremely passionate about the power of young people's voices in shaping policy and thrilled to serve as a Student Delegate to help advance ENACT’s important mission,” says Vermilya.

 

Elaina Pevide ’20

Elaina Pevide is a 2020 graduate of Brandeis University, where she built her own major in public policy while pursuing a second major in psychology and a minor in economics. Upon graduation, she returned to her hometown of Fall River, Massachusetts, where she served as the special projects and media coordinator to the city's mayor.

Pevide began her work with ENACT as an ENACT Labor Network student fellow, where she got an immersive education in labor policy. She was able to interact with experts from around the country and with a small cohort of other ENACT students passionate about labor issues.

With the ENACT Labor Network, Pevide began her research and advocacy on the Fair Work Week bill well before enrolling in the Brandeis ENACT course "Advocacy for Policy Change". This work inspired her to focus her senior capstone research project on the implications of labor policy on economic outcomes for low-income women and women of color.

Besides her work with ENACT, Pevide is involved with Brandeis' Women's Studies Research Center; volunteers with Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, which led the coalition for Fair Work Week legislation; and served as editorial assistant to ENACT Assistant Director David Weinstein in preparing Brandeis' 2020 ENACT Anthology.

Pevide is serving as ENACT Student Delegate Mentor in 2024-25, having previously served as an ENACT Student Delegate.

Past Student Delegates