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Q: Tell me a little about yourself and where you’re from. Major? Hobbies?
I grew up in New Hampshire in a town that was primarily conservative, so I never really liked politics or talked about it much because everybody around me disagreed with me and I felt isolated. Then I went to school in Vermont, where I studied environmental science. Living in Burlington had a huge impact on me and helped me to find my voice. It made me realize that I wasn’t alone in my political beliefs and that there are many progressives who shared my interest in fighting to make sure our environment is preserved for future generations. After college, I took a break and moved back to New Hampshire and got involved volunteering for the Bernie campaign, where I became a field organizer. I have been completely invested in politics ever since.
Q: What specifically about PTP appealed to you?
Definitely the fact that we are going to be on the ground really early, which I think is super essential and something that’s often overlooked in other campaigns. It’s important to keep people engaged and maintain a network of volunteers on off years so that when we get to election years we can really hit the ground running as soon as possible. Another thing I like about PTP is that nothing is set in stone. There is no one way to do things; there’s a lot of room for growth and discovery of what works and what doesn’t work based on verifiable research.
Q: What was the most memorable experience you had while working for Bernie’s campaign in 2016?
It’s hard to put my finger on one experience, but the most memorable state I was in was definitely Pennsylvania. I made a lot of really awesome lifelong friends there who showed me how to be a better organizer, and the amount of work put in by those I met made me appreciate the relationship that volunteers can have with members in the community and how beneficial that can be to supporting a movement. Its great to see that structure is still in tact even when I’m not still there on the ground with them.
Q: What skills did you come away with that you can apply here?
During 2016 I worked in six different states and went places I never thought I would go. I also met people I never would have come in contact with had I not taken that leap and gone around the country to fight for progressive policies. What I took away from that experience is that you really need to see people eye to eye in their own communities and learn from them in order to be an effective organizer. You’re not going to come in and be the end-all-be-all, but by keeping those people in mind, you can facilitate change together based on what they want to see happen in their communities.
Q: If you could pass one law what would it be and why?
I would definitely make election day a national holiday. There’s already so much going on to suppress the vote that I’d want to make sure we are empowering people to vote and making it as easy as possible. I think election day should be a holiday in order to make sure people have the opportunity to participate in our democracy and understand how important it is to actually go out and vote.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
I really like to sing. People tell me I’m a walking karaoke machine because I know the words to everything.
Q: If you could ask Trump something what would it be?
I think I would ask him “what makes you think climate change is a hoax, and what are you going to do to preserve our environment for future generations despite not believing in it? Why do you refuse to acknowledge the most existential crisis facing our survival?
