When actress Holland Roden—known for Teen Wolf—took the stage at WE Day UN 2019, she became a role model to the 19,000 youth in the audience. Her message? The importance of voting. (Did we mention she's a big supporter of the #IAmAVoter campaign?)

Roden—who spent three years in pre-med with plans of becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon before making the switch to acting—appreciates the importance of education, especially educating youth on important social issues. For this reason, she understands the critical role teachers play in the lives of their students. As she shares during our interview, her own AP English teacher is why she’s passionate about so many social issues today. (Women’s empowerment, the plight of refugees and the impact of casting a ballot to name a few.)

From backstage, Roden gets candid about her thoughts on education and other passions like encouraging young voters to cast their ballots.