How Kamryn Davis Uses Her Passion to Inspire Change

By Phoebe Weintraub

“[Voting is] not something that's taught and it’s such an important process that impacts the rest of our lives. If you don't teach us now in high school… that's why we're not voting until we hit, maybe, 30… Then people are still more likely to just only vote for the president or vote for whoever they see on mainstream media. … That's why we try to [educate] because there's so much wrong with the systems that impact young people every day.”

This quote on the importance of civics education was said by Kamryn Davis, who is only 23 years old. Given her youth, her eloquence is surprising, and her holistic knowledge of government and voting makes her sound like a veteran teacher. Her articulateness is a symptom of a passion for voting rights, for which she advocates in every aspect of her life, from her professional work to social media.

Now that the 2024 presidential election is over, many voters assume that the canvassing is over. Davis, the current Regional Director and soon-to-be Program Director of PA Youth Vote helps people understand that there is always an upcoming election– in Pennsylvania, there’s an election every six months–, and consistent education is necessary. 

At PA Youth Vote, Davis aims to bring voting instruction to the attention of Philadelphia youth. Due to shorter attention spans and political disillusionment, youth are especially hard to target and engage in politics. Davis attributes this indifference to an over-saturation of political news in the media.  

“Some people are just fatigued about hearing about the election and maybe [in] such a polarized and politicized … way because they don't know what these [state and local elected officials] do for them.” 

Davis’s primary role is to engage with Philadelphia youth through internships and ambassadorship programs. Given their notorious indifference, she has plenty of tricks to capture their attention. In addition to her official work with PA Youth Vote, Davis acts as a social justice advocate on social media. Influencing was never the plan– she started her Instagram page in high school to encourage more of her peers to register to vote– but it found success at Central High School. It only grew in popularity throughout the pandemic and she continues it to this day. 

“I feel like having a background with social media engagement plays a huge role in my ability to connect with high school students,” Davis admitted. “I understand that this generation is well informed about the issues that they are impacted by, but that we have short attention spans.”

In 2019, Davis became frustrated by her high school’s shallow curriculum on Black History, so she began a Black History Month TikTok series called “Black History Facts You’ll Never Learn in School.” Her most viewed TikTok of the series (708.1k views) taught viewers about Mary Kenner, an inventor who revolutionized the sanitary belt in the 1920s, which would later serve as a precursor to the modern-day maxi pad. 

Her abounding enthusiasm and ever-changing hairstyles may have drawn the viewers in, but her unrelenting focus on history and civics education put her on the TikTok map, only increasing her popularity and influence. With almost 100k followers, Davis’ most popular video (945.4k views) is one of her most unserious, a video analyzing the actions of High School Musical, a franchise known for engaging viewers. 

Kamryn has two sides to her personality: the focused side, which she puts to work at PA Youth Vote, and her silly side, which often comes out on social media. However, instead of keeping them separate, she has found a way to combine them to achieve her advocacy goals. She is nothing if not determined.

Davis’ dedication to voting advocacy gives her an intelligence on the subject on par with politicians. Passion encourages focus and subsequently growth, of which Davis has completed plenty. Growing up as one of four siblings in West Philadelphia, she was constantly surrounded by conversations about community issues. However, she wasn’t infected by the politics bug until high school.

Before long, Davis caught on to the importance of advocacy in communities through her parents and the church. Her parents encouraged her to speak up for those who didn’t have a voice and enrolled her in organizations focused on youth empowerment and community outreach. That sense of empowerment captivated Davis and she has been fighting for others to experience that same feeling ever since. Though she continued her advocacy efforts, her high school years saw a shift in the political landscape. Polarization between parties widened, and it became even more important to speak out for the issues important to her. 

Enter Thomas Quinn, one of the co-founders of PA Youth Vote and a social science teacher at Central High School. According to Davis, in her senior year of high school, his curriculum and advice opened Davis’ eyes to her next steps as a community advocate. 

“Mr. Quinn helped me understand that the other forms of advocacy I was doing were great, but if I wanted to see systemic changes, I would also have to get my peers and community to vote in every election,” she said.

Davis followed Quinn’s advice meticulously and spent her high school years encouraging her fellow students to vote for the issues most important to them. Following her graduation in 2019, she attended West Chester University while working with PA Youth Vote and organizing her social media advocacy. But her work didn’t stop there. While serving as a Resident Assistant (RA), tutor, and President of the university’s Black Student Union, she routinely advocated for voting, students of color, and housing and food insecurity on campus. 

Her efforts led to a social media internship with #VoteThatJawn, where she pioneered a voting guide series, used TikTok to get young people to the polls, and created a chant: “How’s Your Voice Gonna Matter If You Don’t Vote?” This chant would go on to serve as the soundtrack for#VoteThatJawn’s 2020 dance contest videos.

Civics education is required in Pennsylvania by Act 35. However, according to the act, this education must occur “at least once” between grades 7-12. As a result, unassuming 13-year-olds may be taught about the U.S. government, while 12th graders, who are on the verge of voting, either don’t receive the education or have forgotten it by the time they need it. Part of Davis’ work is to ensure that those about to vote have timely access to the resources they need to make informed decisions.

Between both her professional and social media work and becoming a new mom, Kamryn Davis certainly packs her schedule tightly. Luckily for the city of Philadelphia, this does not stop her from giving 110% of her effort to educating the public and advocating for youth voting, one of her most attractive qualities as an employee. 

There are many paths in Davis’ future including law school and/or running for public office. For now, her focus remains sharp. “Whatever I do in the next ten years, whatever … hat I'm wearing, it'll still be around advocacy, education, and empowerment.”

Phoebe Weintraub is a Pennsylvania native currently majoring in English and Cinema Studies with a minor in Journalism. She is the Editor in Chief of the Penn Moviegoer, Penn’s only film criticism magazine, and is also a Sports Reporter for the Daily Pennsylvanian