Conversations with Emma Foust

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Foust

Emma, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in Huntsville, AL and dreamed of getting out of the south as soon as I could. My parents encouraged me to follow my dreams, but to always have a way to support myself in the process. When I graduated High School, I packed my bags and went to New York City to attend Pace University while figuring out what I wanted to do. I had always been obsessed with music, my biggest love being One Direction. This led me to becoming friends with a fellow Louis Tomlinson fan , Audrey Granger. We quickly became close friends, and in February 2020 she asked me if I wanted to volunteer with her at a show in Brooklyn for her internship at Headcount. I had no clue who the artist was or what we’d be doing, but I’ve never been one to turn down a free show! We were there as a non-partisan booth to register people to vote as they entered the venue and milled around the merch and food stands. I was so out of my depth at first, going up to people and getting them to talk to me was not a strong suit of mine at all, but I quickly found a rhythm and realized how much fun I was having. However, that experience quickly faded to the back burner as the pandemic changed everything. I went home for spring break, and then finished the spring semester completely online. That summer, my grandmother passed away after a year long battle with cancer. I returned to NYC that fall, but I was mentally shot. Everything was still closed, most of my friends didn’t return, and I had no support system to process my grief over everything that had happened in less than a year. I decided to move closer to home and enrolled in Middle Tennessee State University. Before I left, I remembered the fun I had with Headcount and decided to see what they were doing. With live music not happening, they had pivoted to virtual events with only a few in person community events. I participated in a Times Square Registration Drive that was in partnership with American Eagle, and was once again filled with joy and wanted to continue my involvement after I moved. I found out they participate in Bonnaroo every year and immediately signed up! Unfortunately, that was the fall of 2021, which for those that aren’t avid Roovians, was the year it was flooded. I was bummed, but the Headcount crew from HQ had already made the trek down to TN and decided to still meet for breakfast. Getting to talk to those key members of the organization was so insightful and I knew I wanted to be more than just a volunteer. I applied to become a Team Leader so I could lead my own events, and was accepted a few months later. I started doing shows around the city at almost every major venue and was having a blast! I’ve now been a Team Leader for 3 years and have registered over 2000 people to vote, made lifelong friends, and created countless memories. This year I am looking forward to continuing events in Nashville while also expanding into the scene in Huntsville, AL.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For the most part, I have been very blessed and had a smooth run. My biggest hurdles so far have all been mentally. As most people, the pandemic completely altered my life. I transferred schools, my grandmother died, and I felt like I was drowning. After two years, I finally got into therapy to deal with my feelings and ended up getting diagnosed with ADHD and Anxiety, which definitely explained a lot. I dropped out of school to focus on my mental state, and while I’ve debated going back to school, it was the best decision I made. I was able to fully focus on myself and am now able to say I’m in a clear mindset. Headcount was such a blessing in disguise as it gave me an outlet to both have fun and push my comfort zone. I can safely say I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for my experience with Headcount. I was a quiet, very introverted, and timid person. Through Headcount, I’ve become more confident, outgoing, and am not as afraid of rejection.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Headcount is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that uses music, culture, and digital media to register voters and inspire participation in democracy. As a Team Leader, I get the opportunity to lead all types of events from concerts and festivals to school registration drives and other community events. I’ve been able to see some of my favorite artists such as Harry Styles and Green Day and go to festivals like Bonnaroo and Hangout Fest, while also getting to make a difference right there in my community. One of my favorite parts of being a part of this organization is seeing the joy on someone’s face when they register for the first time, or think they can’t register and find out they can. I love telling my volunteers before every event that our goal is to meet people where they are at. We want people to be excited about voting and being a participant in our democracy, and we can do that by going to them and getting them engaged versus just hoping they come to us.

What matters most to you?
My top priority is getting people excited about democracy. One of the unique aspects of Headcount is the fact that we are non-partisan. We show up to our events, and we don’t push an agenda on people. All we want is to inspiring people to register to vote and get engaged. It opens so many doors, and gets people to let down their guards in ways they may not have done before. People see a group of people having fun, and usually waving a shiny pin or fun sign around, and they naturally want to be a part of that. People view politics like the DMV, dull and depressing. We make it colorful and fun, and I love being that starting point for everyone I interact with.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.headcount.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/HeadCountOrg/ or https://www.instagram.com/nashvilleheadcount/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeadCountOrg/