After starting a women’s leadership group, that grew to become the largest organization on her college campus, she participated in the White House Project training. The White House Project is a nonpartisan organization that aims to advance women’s leadership in all communities and sectors, up to the U.S. presidency.
Kristy knows the statistics of women in
political office right now are very low.
Even though women make up 51% of the population, only 16% of Congress
and 18% of State Governors are women.
Kristy is working to change that by training high school students to
become political leaders. She also has
her eye on running for office in the very near future.
What are you working on in
Washington D.C.?
I'm working on political leadership and engaging young women in the
political process. I worked for Senator Debbie Stabenow for two and a half
years and recently made a career move to focus on leadership programs. I
currently work for the Congressional Youth Leadership Council and train high
school students to be political leaders.
Have you always been interested
in politics?
I never realized that being a public official was an option for me. No
one told me that I could run for office and serve in an elected position. I
think from a very young age we're not encouraged to be leaders, to speak our
mind and give our opinion. I grew up in an a-political family. I vaguely
remember my parents voting.
Are you going to run for political
office in the future?
Yes, I'm 100% committed that I will run for political office as a state
legislator in my home state of Michigan.
Has someone approached you to
run?
I met Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky at a political leadership conference
for women. The first thing she asked us was to raise our hand if we plan on
running for political office. No one raised their hand. She said, “The number
one reason women don't run is because they are not asked to run for office.” She said, “I'm standing here before you and
I'm asking you to run.”
Tell us about the training you
received to run for office?
The White House Project teaches young women to know their story and
communicate their story through their own value system. They integrate this
with the specific skills that women need to be successful candidates and public
servants. I have never paid for my training with the White House Project. They
want this training to be available to all women.
How are women working together in
the political system?
Senator Debbie Stabenow is one of sixteen women senators. Seeing the
bond between those women in the Senate was an amazing opportunity for me to
witness. For example, the female Senators make the time to have dinner with one
another every month. This includes both Republicans and Democrats and they
pledge not to talk about politics.
Why is it so important for
everyday women to be involved and participate in the political process?
Every woman is unique and we all bring our own story. The more everyday
women tell their story, especially the working moms and single moms who aren't
directly connected to our political system, the more our elected officials will
understand that the decisions they are making are effecting everyone. I'd like
to see our elected representation reflect the community they are serving. If
there are 50% women in the population, there should be 50% women in our
government.
What is your message to women
around the world?
Get involved, whether that be running for political office or volunteering
at your local community center. Our future is dependent on how many people step
up and get involved.
Get Involved! 5
things you can do today to ensure equal representation.
1. Ask and encourage
a female friend to run for office.
2. Your voice counts! Share
your story with your elected representative or submit an editorial to your
local paper.
3. Support programs
like the White House Project that train women to run and take the lead.
4. Volunteer in your community.
5. Consider running for office!
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