When Alex Anacki was 9-years-old, he was flipping through his local newspaper and saw an article that made his heart sink.
His home state of Massachusetts was considering cutting public library funding by 30 percent. A voracious reader on a first-name basis with the local librarians, Anacki knew he needed to take action. He wrote to his local legislators – and then penned a letter to the editor that was published in the local newspaper.
“Libraries are critical parts of our society, and I knew I had to do something,” said Anacki. “I ended up getting a response from all of the legislators – and even from Governor Deval Patrick’s office. I learned then that if I spoke up, I could make a tangible difference in my community.”
Anacki – a National Merit Scholar and member of FIU’s best freshman class in university history – said this experience was a turning point that encouraged him to become more involved in the political process.
In high school, Anacki interned for the Florida Democratic Party. Later, he landed an internship working for Florida State Representative Margaret Good’s campaign, which had the highest voter turnout for a special election in state history. Today, he works as a paid staffer with Rep. Good, overseeing her social media accounts and facilitating her campaign’s operations.
“Working with Rep. Good has been a really transformative experience for me,” said Anacki. “I’ve gained a much greater appreciation for state politics and I’m trying my best to make others aware of the issues in Tallahassee.”
Anacki found another way to share his passion for policy by serving as president of his high school’s Model United Nation’s team. He helped it grow from 17 members to more than 100 – and also organized his school’s own Model UN conference.
It was this love of Model UN that led him to FIU.
In February, Anacki attended FIU’s Model United Nation’s High School Conference and wasn’t on campus for very long before he realized FIU was the perfect fit. In the fall, he’ll begin studying political science at FIU’s Honor College. He’s also applied to be a part of FIU’s nationally recognized Model UN team, which is currently ranked third in the country above Harvard and Georgetown.
“Alex is driven, passionate and enthusiastic about learning,” said Dillon Montes de Oca, admissions coordinator in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. “I have no doubt that Alex will accomplish great things here at FIU, and I look forward to see what he accomplishes here in his academic journey.”
The fourth grader that once took on his local legislators has his sights on running for office. “I don’t know what path will take me there, but I’m very passionate about service and improving the lives of others,” said Anacki.
While he works toward this future, Anacki often reminds himself of something a former teacher and mentor once said to him: “Go take the world by storm!”
That’s exactly what Anacki intends to do.
