I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to take on two separate internships while an undergraduate student.

My passion for economic justice, on a local and global level, led me to get involved with a historic local effort for city librarians to unionize, with the intent of increased wages and improved working conditions.  Having learned of the importance of worker mobilizing and solidarity through my Intro to Global Studies class, this was an amazing opportunity at the local level to see firsthand what it looks like to fight for economic justice and workplace democracy, all while having the privilege of taking part in the effort, learning core organizing skills and an insight to the relevance that unions hold both here in Pittsburgh and across the world.

I then decided to intern with Representative Frankel thereafter after seeing firsthand how local government, along with other entities such as civic groups and respected community leaders, can make an often unseen impact in the lives of people, as seen through the support of local elected officials during the CLP union campaign.  I have seen firsthand how local government is particularly poised to deal with constituents as well as how change is often made at the small scale level, and many of my past perceptions of local government have been changed as a result.  Recognizing that social changes almost always rely on the formal political system for momentum, I feel that I can better organize for social change which I see necessary after this experience.