Volunteer Spotlight: John Guyton

This month’s volunteer spotlight features John Guyton, a Georgia native and active donor and volunteer for New American Pathways. John first discovered his passion for political engagement during his college career at American University in DC during a monumental period of American history—the Watergate scandal of the 1970s.

A father of two and husband of 33 years, John has worked in the bicycle business for years. After the death of his mother in 2014, John has continuously worked to fulfill her legacy of political involvement and continue her social impact. John’s mother played an active role in teaching English to immigrant children and volunteered as an Election Day poll worker in DeKalb County for 15 years.

“Voting was always extremely important to her,” says John.

One of John’s most meaningful decisions was to donate his mother’s furniture and goods to a resettlement agency. In her honor, New AP was the organization to which he chose to donate.

Now in 2018, John has become involved in voter registration during naturalization ceremonies. Naturalization is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country.

“[It’s amazing] to see the excitement on peoples’ faces after waiting to become a citizen for over 20 years,” says John. “I get a charge every time.” John advises that more Americans should reach out and interact with others from different cultures and communities: “Only then can we learn what others go through and how much they’ve wanted to become an American citizen.”

Thank you, John, for your dedication and contribution to your mother’s legacy. We are honored you chose New AP for your service.

Interested in volunteering with Civic Engagement? Come to our next volunteer orientation!