During its 60th annual national summer convention Sept. 6-8 in New Orleans, La., the College Democrats of America (CDA) elected Florida Southern College alumna Mikaela Guido as its new president for 2019-2020. Guido graduated from FSC in May 2019 with a B.S. in Political Science and now attends the University of Florida’s Fredric G. Levin College of Law.
Guido served as secretary of the Florida Southern College Democrats from Nov. 2016 until Sept. 2017, when she became the local chapter’s president. While president of FSC’s chapter, she was elected vice president of the statewide Florida College Democrats, based in Tallahassee. She also served as national director of programs for the CDA from Aug. 2018 until Sept. 2019.
Founded in 1932, the CDA is the official student arm of the Democratic Party, with more than 100,000 student members in 600+ campus chapters across the country. Both the president and vice president of the CDA serve as voting members of the Democratic National Committee.
Dr. R. Bruce Anderson, associate professor of political science, pre-law adviser, and adviser for FSC College Democrats, praised Guido as an integral part of the department, the College, and as “one of a long line of strong leaders of the chapter” at Florida Southern. “She’s ‘made the wheels turn’ in so many ways.”
According to Mark Haver, current president of the Florida Southern College Democrats, Guido’s rise to the national stage “really tells all of our students, regardless of party affiliation, that FSC students are a force to be reckoned with. The hard work we do on campus is meaningful, and we can achieve whatever we set our minds to. Mikaela is a trailblazer among all Florida Southern students.”
While serving as president of the Florida Southern College Democrats, Guido coordinated weekly programming such as bipartisan discussions and debates, voter registration drives, and service projects. As vice president of the statewide Florida College Democrats, she was involved in organizing diversity initiatives and cultural sensitivity training within the group. In her new role as president of the national CDA, Guido will preside over meetings of the national organization’s 10-member Executive Board.
“I am incredibly excited to start this journey as president of College Democrats of America,” Guido said. “Florida Southern College, and specifically the Political Science Department – with its emphasis on bipartisanship, presentation skills, and overall community – were essential in shaping my view of politics and the world. Without a consistent undergraduate environment that fostered inclusion, motivation, and the importance of personal connection and communication, I would not have had the confidence and drive to get where I am today.”