In her role as Assistant Director at Stony Brook University’s Center for Civic Justice, Ashley Liegi has spent years helping students transform lessons on policy and leadership into action. Through her mentorship and her partnership with Up to Us, she’s building a generation of civic leaders ready to turn awareness into advocacy and ideas into impact.
Ashley emphasizes that civic engagement isn’t theoretical — it’s lived every day. “With time, I began to see what a significant impact social workers can make in the field of government and policy, and learned more about how policies targeting larger systemic issues can get to the root of problems and help prevent some of society’s bigger challenges, as well as impact individuals directly.”
Her approach blends academic study and real-world engagement, ensuring students don’t just learn about civic systems—they participate in them. From facilitating voter registration drives to mentoring student-led campaigns, Ashley fosters a learning environment rooted in purpose and action.
The partnership between Stony Brook’s Center for Civic Justice and Up to Us has become a cornerstone of Ashley’s work. The Up to Us Campus Competition challenges students to design and execute campaigns that raise awareness about fiscal policy and the national debt—while developing the leadership and strategic communication skills that set them apart.
Under Ashley’s guidance, Stony Brook students have consistently excelled in the competition, achieving top-five placements and even national recognition. But for her, the greatest success isn’t measured in rankings, it’s in transformation.
She’s seen firsthand how students evolve through the Up to Us experience. Many enter unsure of their voice or unsure how to contribute. Still, through the process of developing and executing their campaigns, they gain confidence and realize that policy conversations belong to everyone — not just elected officials or experts.
Ashley uses Up to Us as a platform for applied learning—where theory becomes practice, and civic literacy evolves into leadership. Her students learn to organize events, manage teams, and communicate complex fiscal ideas in accessible, engaging ways. It’s not just about winning a competition—it’s about discovering their capacity to make change.
One of the most remarkable outcomes of Ashley’s work has been the creation of a self-sustaining leadership pathway on campus. Each year, former team leaders mentor the next group of participants, passing on not just knowledge, but also the values of civic responsibility and collaboration.
It’s a lineage of leadership that traces back several years—from Julia to Anastasia, Izabella, Malak, and now Ananya. Each student leader has added their own mark, introducing new creative approaches and expanding the competition’s reach within the Stony Brook community.
Ashley views mentorship as the key to lasting civic engagement. The ongoing chain of student leaders at Stony Brook — each building on the last — is, to her, proof that when one student lifts another, the collective impact grows. That cycle of shared learning and encouragement sustains a culture of leadership long after a single competition ends.
Through her guidance, Ashley has helped Up to Us run more than a competition—it’s now a living network of student changemakers, each inspired to keep the cycle of leadership alive.
Ashley’s philosophy of civic education extends far beyond lectures or deadlines. For her, learning is experiential, and leadership is collective. The conversations that begin in class often evolve into campus initiatives, internships, or long-term advocacy work.
She emphasizes that programs like Up to Us also show students how to make complex topics, such as fiscal responsibility and the national debt, meaningful to their peers. She sees it as a chance for them to learn how to translate policy ideas into language that connects with people’s everyday lives — an essential skill for any civic leader.
This kind of applied civic learning, she adds, is what keeps students engaged long after graduation. Many alumni of her program have gone on to careers in public administration, social impact, and nonprofit leadership, continuing to embody the values of civic responsibility they developed under her mentorship.
The success of Ashley’s students speaks volumes about the influence of faculty engagement in Up to Us programs. Advisors like her serve as the bridge between institutional support and student innovation, ensuring that young leaders have the resources, encouragement, and direction they need to thrive.
Her story is also a testament to how higher education can evolve to meet today’s challenges by preparing students not only to enter the workforce but also to actively shape the world they’re inheriting.
“Civic engagement isn’t something that happens once every four years at the ballot box,” Ashley reflects. “It’s something we do every day—in our classrooms, our communities, and our conversations.”
As she continues to mentor new generations of students, Ashley Liegi embodies the Up to Us mission: empowering young people to lead with knowledge, empathy, and action.
Learn more about how Up to Us empowers the next generation of civic and fiscal leaders at www.itsuptous.org.