I'm between jobs right now and thought this might be a good time to share what I've been doing for the past year. Once I get my next job, I probably won't be able to blog again. So, I'm back, for a minute!
I have to give credit to my mother and Barack Obama for setting me on the course that my life has taken recently. Through my mother's death I found Obama and he has inspired me (please read my previous blogs for the details).
I spent the past year working for the Ohio Democratic Party as the Franklin County Field Director . We won the Presidency for Obama and we also took back the State House! I helped build the Neighborhood Leader Program. I recruited and trained Neighborhood Leaders until the program was folded into the Obama Campaign. My focus then turned to the entire Democratic ticket. In addition to Obama's Campaign, I worked on two State House races, Nancy Garland in the 20th HD and Ray Pryor in the 85th HD. Both candidates won!
The Ohio Democratic Party was hesitant about hiring me at first. I was a stay-at-home mother who walked in off the street and asked them for an internship and then a job as Field Director (once I found out the ODP was hiring). I had no campaign experience whatsoever other than the grassroots organizing I did for Obama. I hounded the ODP folks to get a job interview and I hounded them afterwards until finally they said I could work as an intern. They would see about the Field Director position. Well, I worked my butt off for a month and impressed them so much, they hired me as the Franklin County Field Director. For the rest of the year, I continued to work hard and to persist.
I cannot fully describe what a great feeling it is to have earned the respect of my peers. It wasn't because I have a degree from Mount Holyoke College (here in Ohio, no one cares :-) ) nor was it because my mother was the Director of Education in Mayor Coleman's administration (I never mentioned it). I earned their respect because I worked hard, I persisted and I got results. I tell you, that is one of the greatest lessons of my life! Thank you Doug and John for hiring me!
Oh, how I love President-Elect Obama and how I desperately want to work in his administration! I recently learned that my fellow Mount Holyoke Alumnae Mona Sutphen '89 (I'm in the Class of 92') has been appointed Deputy White House Chief of Staff!! Go Mona! Goodness knows, I am so tempted to start hounding Mona for a job. :-) But, I want to pay my dues and to earn my way. So, I'm going to stay here in Ohio. I helped win back the State House and now I want to help push a Democratic agenda (with bipartisan support) in order to improve the lives of Ohioans. I'm in the process of applying for a job at the State House.
As for the future, I want to improve the lives of others by one day running a federal agency or perhaps serving the State of Ohio as Governor. Ultimately, whatever I do, the goal is to reach the end of my life having done some good.
Thank you Mom and Obama for setting me on that path.
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