Alumni travel to Washington as part of Millennial, Gen Z summit with key leaders

July 15, 2025 (Volume 48, Number 20)
Article by Ana Zapata

two women in dresses posing on either side of a digital directory reading the Executive Office of the President of the United States around the seal

large group standing on steps in front of a building in Washington, D.C.

Ana Zapata, '25, left, and Tina Duoibes, '25 are pictured during their trip to Washington, D.C., for the National Millennial and Gen Z Community meeting.

Two alumni who serve as members of the National Millennial and Gen Z Community (NMGZ) traveled to Washington, D.C., in June for meetings with federal officials and key leaders to discuss generational impact, national policies and trends.

Tina Duoibes, ’25, and Ana Zapata, ’25, both earned bachelor's degrees in advertising and public relations. While at Grand Valley, they were members of GrandPR and NMGZ, Michigan's only chapter of the national organization.

Zapata said they met with organizations ranging from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to AARP, to understand their perspectives on AI, media, health and civic engagement.

"One of the most impactful moments of the trip was the visit to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the White House, where we met with federal officials to unpack urgent issues around AI governance, health care reform, education policy and political identity," Zapata said. "The briefings unpacked the current administration's strategies to regulate emerging technologies like deepfakes and AI-driven misinformation, including the development of a national AI Education Taskforce."

Zapata said the White House visit also explored cultural tensions and generational divides in how different administrations approach DEI, reproductive rights and education.

"Advisors and panelists encouraged us to champion our ideas and generate meaningful change in our community, highlighting that real transformation requires stepping into areas of influence with both humility and resolve," she said.