ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2024
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. This year, 52,000+ young leaders applied to join the Class of 2024 on 6,000+ campuses across 170 nations. 280+ campuses worldwide (just 5%) were selected to host the 4,000+ Millennium Fellows.

UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT RHIANNON MAJELLA CAROLINE CLARKE DOWNEY, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2024.
University College Dublin | Dublin, Ireland | Advancing SDG 16, SDG 4 & UNAI 2

" "As a Millennium Fellow, I am excited to leverage my legal expertise and passion for social justice to drive impactful change within my community and beyond. The opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals who are equally committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals inspires me to continue my work and strive for excellence in all my endeavours, particularly in promoting equality, justice, and inclusive societies." "
Millennium Fellowship Project: The Student Voter Empowerment Project
A disinterest in electoral participation has been a problem in Ireland for years and was clearly demonstrated by the low voter turnout in Ireland’s March 2024 referendums.
Our project was therefore dedicated to increasing voter engagement by educating individuals on the importance of participating in elections and empowering them to become active and informed voters. We strove to make the electoral process more accessible and inviting to all. With the Irish Parliament (Dáil) elections aligning with the duration of our project, they became our primary focus, serving as a platform to initiate a practice of voter participation amongst UCD students.
Our approach involved three goals: the first was developing a handbook establishing the mechanics and purposes of voting in an easily digestible manner. The second was conducting a campus survey to help us make the handbook as useful as possible. The third was hosting a voter registration drives across campus to reach students with no obvious link to politics.
Through these efforts, we sought to establish a culture of consistent voter engagement, empowering individuals to participate in the elections that will shape Ireland’s future.
About the Millennium Fellow
Rhiannon Clarke Downey is a final-year student at University College Dublin, pursuing a Bachelor of Civil Law with European Legal Studies. She has completed an Erasmus year at Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, gaining valuable international experience. Rhiannon has interned at Matheson LLP, where she honed her legal research and professional skills. Actively involved in various student societies, she is also a board member of Steadfast House and a member of the National Women’s Council of Ireland Youth Advisory Panel. Rhiannon’s diverse background reflects her commitment to legal excellence and community engagement.





