Why Politics? - I believe in a government of, by, and for the people
Servant leadership, not politics, is at the core of what motivated me to apply to Answering the Call in 2017 and to join the team at New Politics Leadership Academy.
As a student at the Naval Academy, I memorized the school’s mission statement, which reads in part, “to imbue [future Navy and Marine Corps officers] with the highest ideals of duty, honor, and loyalty … to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship, and government.” The importance of selflessness, of leadership grounded in a commitment to others, was impressed upon us daily. While my experience there undoubtedly shaped the man I am today, those core values were instilled in me long before I ever set foot in Annapolis.
I was raised by a tough, single mother of three in a trailer park on the eastern desert outskirts of Las Vegas, Nevada. Not having graduated from high school herself, my mom constantly fought for us to attend the best public schools in the city while she worked as a food server and janitor at our neighborhood elementary school. Every day, we scraped and struggled to get by. Thanks to her, we survived.
I think constantly about the hardships my mom faced throughout her life, about all she missed out on and everything she willingly gave up for her three children. I thought about them as I worked my way through the classroom — when I received my high school diploma, earned my bachelor’s degree, and completed graduate school. I thought about them while working odd-and-end jobs in the foodservice industry and as a volunteer for community non-profits. I thought about them nearly every time I put on the military uniform of a country whose ideals I strive to embody, and of whose promise I am an ever grateful beneficiary.
I think about them when I look at all my brother and sister have accomplished — he, an Army combat veteran of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria; she, a City Year alumna continuing to serve underprivileged youth in Denver Public Schools. My brother and I swore the same oath as members of the military, not to a person or party, but to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” My sister, meanwhile, took a City Year pledge “to make a difference in the lives of others, and to build a stronger community, nation, and world, for all of us.”
My mom’s selfless sacrifices are woven intricately into the stories of our success. The military provided me with opportunities I never could have imagined. Were it not for my mother, however, for her commitment to living selflessly and to doing all she could to empower us, I might not have been so fortunate.
My time in uniform took me across the country and around the world, but I still remain connected to my community. Little has changed for my hometown. Nevada continues to be mired in deeply-rooted inequality, among the worst educational outcomes in the country, and a myriad of systemic issues that remain unaddressed. Solving these problems isn’t a question of politics, but of servant leadership. Selfless, courageous leadership seeks to empower everyone, just like my mother did for our family.
Sadly, pathways for new political leadership remain intentionally exclusive and laden with barriers to entry. Representative leadership matters in our democracy, but the right kinds of leaders rarely get a fair shot.
Our system doesn’t have to work this way.
Over the past decade working in both the military and in foreign policy, I am humbled to have served with some of the best men and women our nation has to offer. I’ve seen their leadership firsthand. Veterans and national service alumni have proven their commitment to solving the country’s toughest challenges by truly coming together, embracing the inherent value of our diverse perspectives, selflessly serving others, and doing the hard work of offering values-oriented solutions rather than simply identifying problems.
My role at New Politics Leadership Academy is to recruit and coach these service veterans to become candidates, staffers, or more deeply engaged citizens. Servant leaders who will fight for my family and my community. Servant leaders who will fight for yours, too.
At this critical moment in history, when bold, authentic leadership is so desperately needed in our nation, I am proud to participate in the movement to revitalize our democracy.