Why Politics? - Supporting the most incredible people I've ever met
Working in politics involves a lot of sacrifice — long months on the road, time spent away from family, and total dedication. Being on a campaign can be a long slog. It can mean working 18 hours a day, seven days a week. People with service backgrounds know what sacrifice entails and how to dedicate themselves to tough causes for little tangible reward, and that’s why we need them as candidates and campaign staffers. The more people we have with service-first mindsets in our politics, the bigger our impact will be. Politicians who have served put the interests of community and country over all else, and they are the ones who can lessen the partisan divide and rehabilitate our political system.
My passion for politics began at a young age. In fact, my parents recently found, tucked away in a box in their attic, a writing assignment from elementary school in which I declared that when I grew up, I wanted to manage a U.S. Senate race (I promise I wasn’t as boring as this makes me seem!). I began scratching that political itch through student government -- first in high school, then as an undergrad at Auburn University, where I ran for SGA Vice President and supported a friend’s campaign for President the following year. After graduating from my master’s program, I took a job working in the United Kingdom’s Parliament. I assumed law school would be the next step in my journey through politics, but that all changed when I ran into an old friend at a wedding. He worked for the Republican National Committee and he had a job for me. Four days after the bride and groom tied the knot, I was in Joplin, Missouri, as the Southwest Missouri Field Director for the RNC.
After that chance encounter, I was well on my way of fulfilling my political dream. Over the next few years, I was blessed with other amazing opportunities. I worked for two of the most incredible people I’ve ever met — Senators Luther Strange and Mitt Romney. I saw that both of them really wanted to serve the people. They weren’t looking for big payouts or to advance their careers but rather, they had a genuine desire to use their elected office to improve people’s lives. Working on the Romney and Strange campaigns inspired me to get up day after day and give it my all to elect good leaders. When work got heavy or exhausting, I thought of their commitment to service and about all the good they wanted to accomplish and used that to push on.
The folks I work with at New Politics Leadership Academy fit that same mold: leaders who recognize that public service is a worthy sacrifice. These people want desperately to effect change and improve communities, and politics is the way for them to do just that. I want to recruit as many selfless, service-driven leaders as possible to run for seats from school board to Congress. Though I’ve always identified as a Republican, I’ve realized that politics isn’t about ideology or party affiliation, but about people. Working in politics is never easy, but all those long days and months away from home are worth it when I see politicians who put people first step up to solve the problems we face. I know that by supporting these leaders, I get to play a small part in improving the future of our country.