In fourth grade Deb Marke’s parents, who immigrated from Sierra Leone, got their American citizenship. Since then, she watched them vote in every local, state and federal election — instilling in her an early respect for the civic process.
Marke was hired as the assistant director of advocacy and social justice at the Office of Civic & Community Engagement in the fall semester of 2019. She immediately jumped into Deacs Decide, a nonpartisan campus-wide initiative to promote voting.
“It’s really important that everyone has the ability, resources, tools and information to be able to go and make the most informed decision for themselves,” Marke said. “That’s what the role of Deacs Decide is, helping people think critically about what it means for them to feel like they have the autonomy to participate in this process.”
This isn’t Marke’s first time serving the Winston-Salemcommunity—she hasworn many hats. As a Wake Forest undergraduate student working in the Women’s Center, as an AmeriCorps Vista Member working locally and now as the leader of Deacs
Decide, their work in ensuring social justice for all is abundant.
However, Marke didn’t always plan on this career path. Despite exposure to civic duty from their parents, while in undergraduate school at Wake Forest, they majored in health and exercise science, planning on becoming a doctor. The Women’s Center, which opened during their time here, shifted her career trajectory toward their love of social justice.
“I was the first student worker in the Women’s Center,” Marke said. “I got to engage so deeply and learn about different structures and systems and institutions.”
After graduating, Marke served for a year with AmeriCorps before taking a job as a program coordinator in the Women’s Center at the University of Cincinnati, where she focused on what it meant to be a leader.
“Anybody can be a leader, anyone can create change,” Marke said, reflecting on her time in Cincinnati.“You don’t need a particular title; you can lead without a position.”
Exploring the relationship between activism and leadership encouraged their pursuit of higher education. Marke is
currently working towards a Master’s in social work at UNC Chapel Hill. When she’s not busy balancing this and her job, she’s spending time with their partner and five cats: Ramona, Luca, Chester, Bae and Max.
This background in activism and social justice also equipped them for their role in Deacs Decide. Since taking on the role of leader, she has structurally shifted the organizationtoencouragestudentleadership roles and peer-to-peer mobilization. Marke believes it’s vital to learn how to vote at a young age.
There’s a lot of research supporting the fact that voting in your first election makes you much more likely to be a lifelong voter. Marke’s goal for Deacs Decide is to guide students to engage with local, state, federal and global communities.
“I have always grown up with a really strong understanding of being engaged politically and feeling like voting is a tool,” Marke said. “It is not something that everyone has access to and it really is a privilege to be able to do that.”
