PTP Profile: Gina

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Q: Tell me a little about yourself and where you’re from.

I am originally from New York but moved to Chesterfield, Virginia when I was pretty young. My mom raised me and my two siblings pretty much on her own. We struggled quite a bit, but I was lucky enough to have my mom there to push me to go to college. I started out at a community college and then transferred to University of Richmond, where I studied psychology because I was always really interested in how people’s perceptions of the world are formed. I also wound up minoring in women, gender, and sexuality studies because understanding why people think the way they do isn’t enough, I wanted to do something about it. My education really opened my eyes to a lot of problems in the world and is how I found organizing. A week after graduating, I packed up and left Virginia to go work on Senator Kay Hagan’s re-election campaign in North Carolina. It was really a leap of faith, but I felt it was important for me to work to re-elect a woman candidate as well as keep the senate blue.

Q: Was there a specific moment you first became interested in politics?

Yeah, I began as a volunteer in 2012 on Obama’s campaign. I started dorm storming and registering voters on campus, which was really my first introduction to political campaigns. My mom was the one who initially got me interested in political campaigns; but, as a single mom she didn’t have the time to get involved herself, so I figured I was going to do it for her.

Q: Why did you decide to join PTP?

I really love the idea of organizing people when there’s not an election going on. I think that if we just keep people engaged in the long term we could solve a lot of problems. I’ve been involved on a lot of local campaigns where everyone just leaves after six months (and sometimes even less than that), and the community feels like we abandon them as soon as the election is over. I don’t think it’s fair for campaigns to just use people without taking the time to give them the tools needed to organize themselves and be successful. So I really love the idea of continuous organizing and empowering people to take ownership and keep going even when there’s not an election with a big name at the top of the ticket.

Q: How have your past experiences helped prepare you as an Regional Field Director?

I love organizing because I love building personal relationships with people. I really enjoy getting out there and talking to people about their stories and why they’re taking hours out of their lives to make a difference. I like being able to share my story and connect with people over our similar interest in making the world a better place. I think a lot of the skills that I’ve learned, in terms of building relationships with people through phone calls, knocking on doors, or having a one on one conversation, can really make a difference and will translate to this experience very well.

Q: What was the most memorable encounter you’ve had with someone while working as a field rep?

My first time organizing I met this really amazing woman named Cliff Ann who was everything I wanted to be. She was an incredibly strong woman raising her grandson on her own. She was retired but once worked as a teacher and ran a women’s shelter. She was there for me when I needed it, as it was my first time being on my own, hours away from my family, working all the time. Getting to know someone like her who cared so much about politics and women’s issues was really inspiring to me and kept me going when things got rough.

Q: Who inspires you in politics and why?

Definitely Obama. I know everyone gives that answer, but it’s hard not to. He was the one who encouraged me to get involved and work as a volunteer on his campaign. It was inspiring because I saw how many people were getting involved for the first time like me. He really revolutionized the idea of organizing and demonstrated that there’s real power in getting involved in your community.

Q: Speaking of women, today is International Women’s day. Are you doing anything to celebrate?

I’m just taking a step back today to let the new voices of women who haven’t typically been involved lead. I’ve been in this fight for a while now, and it’s incredible to see the diverse mix of women who’ve stood up for women’s rights in the past as well as those who are showing up now. I’m personally going to take some time today to reflect and appreciate all the strong women I’ve had in my life because they’ve made me who I am today.

Q: Assuming you became President tomorrow and had the ability to immediately pass one law, what would it be?

There are so many things that I would love to pass laws about. It is International Women’s Day and one of the things that’s been on my mind a lot recently is Planned Parenthood. So, I would pass a law that prohibits Congress from defunding Planned Parenthood, that way it will always be there. It’s such an important resource for women and does so much more than just provide abortions. I would love to stop seeing that being a fight we keep having over and over again.

Q: If you were to organize a potluck, what is the one dish you would bring?

Well I am in North Carolina. The only answer is mac and cheese. Sweet tea is also a must.