student internships

student blogs

Each week our interns detailed their experiences and what they have been learning. Check it out below.

What did you learn during this internship? How has this experience changed your view of politics?

My experience with the GAP program was educating, memorable, and fun. I remember my first phone banking experience and it was a mess at first because I was feeling weird and kind of shy; which made me mix up my words and made the first person confused on what I was talking about. However, when I got to my second phone banking experience, I was much better. Especially learning how to use the app reach. Overall, I couldn’t have done it without the help of the politicians that talked to us. They taught and gave us advice that would help us in the near future if we ever were to run a campaign or just for living life. I remember one that I learned was: you are going to run into men who want to bring you down because you are a woman, but basically don’t let that get to you, let that motivate you. That was one of the lessons that stuck with me ever since. 

This experience of being in the GAP program made me view politicians and politics  differently. I used to think that all politicians always wanted something just for their benefit and not the people’s. Such as money, power and control. Yet, this group of politicians that I had met, had goals that most people wanted fixed in our community. For instance, better education, housing, and police reform. All things that spoke to change. They weren't like those people who were selfish; they were the complete opposite. Selfless. When we first had the meeting I was doubtful on how the politicians would speak about their campaign, but when we met them, I was happy to say I would vote for them if I could. 

It has and has not made me want to pursue a career in politics. The reason why I say it has is because I want change for the good. I see how my community and other POC communities are being affected and it is a stress and heartbreak thing that we all have to see on a daily basis. So why not help make change? Whether it's helping a politician who wants to fix something corrupt or broken in our community or us making music, dances, posters, etc to make change. There is always something to fix to make it better in our community. So why not? However, I  also say it has not made me want to pursue a career in politics just because that's not what I want to do in my lifetime, but I do want to make a change in other options, like music and dance. 

In today's society, with social media, us teens/ young people have a lot of influence on politics. We are very creative and smart when it comes to something that we truly want to fix or don't want to happen. So with our help by looking in from the outside, our power as young people is huge enough to make a change to our Communities. Our Environment. And to ALL HUMAN BEINGS. -Alysha McKnight

I learned that people are able to phone bank from home and it really helps candidates because it gets people to vote for them. I learned that everyone gets into politics because they want to be able to bring a change into their community and they really enjoy doing it. I learned what phone banking was. At first, I didn’t know much about it, but now I know what it is and I am able to share that information with other people. There are a lot of apps and resources to be able to phone bank on the go and you can even do it from your laptop, which is very helpful. 

This experience changed my views of politics a lot because I thought it was all about people trying to get picked to be in office, but now I know it takes more than that because people have to get a certain amount of votes in order to win. Also, it takes hard work and dedication to be able to win, and even after you win the work never ends. The candidates who are in the race are losing sleep, time to eat, etc and despite that, they never give up because they know what they are doing is for a good reason and they are helping the people they promised to help and bring a difference to the community. Hearing other people’s experience in the campaign made me realize that people had to raise money in order to get their campaign up and running, it costs them thousands to millions of dollars, even if they lose they don’t get discouraged. It pushes them to work ten times harder the next time. Every candidate has a powerful story behind who they are and what caused them to get started in politics and it pushed me to go after what I love and enjoy. 

I can’t see myself having a career in politics because I feel like it’s not really meant for me. However, I can see myself helping someone that’s in politics by helping them put up posters, creating/designing the posters, phone banking them, etc. Even if I can’t see myself doing it I can probably convince someone else who loves and enjoys politics to get in the race to be able to bring a difference in the community and express their ideas out. 

The role young people have in politics is big because young people can use their social media platform to share their candidate’s information and tell people to vote for them. Young people will be engaged in the campaign and they will always be ready to help at all times, they are also able to tell family and friends who are old enough to vote, to vote for the person that they are working with. Young people might find an interest and might want to get in the race as well and do it, also people like to see young people in politics because young people always have a drive when they begin something they enjoy doing. -Patricia Dorsainvil 

Being able to be a part of this program has helped me learn how to listen to people, learn to communicate more efficiently, and helped me come out of my box. Before I was able to go through this experience I loathed speaking with people I was not close to and especially strangers. In this program, speaking to others played a big part in participating. So, I didn't really have much of a choice, which I actually in time learned to appreciate. This was that little push I needed to grow not only as a person but also professionally. Reason being that in the future I will be having to speak to people in all sorts of environments, so learning to communicate was a key part of my growth through this program.

This experience changed my view on politics for the better. All the time I used to hear that the people's vote doesn't matter and that it has no effect on who gets elected for office. I started to believe this especially when the 2020 presidential election came. This is one of the biggest elections in the country so there would be a lot of buzz going around about it and I heard many people didn't vote because it didn't matter. Through this program, my view on voting and elections changed because I was able to personally see that voting does matter. All the phone banks and text banking we would learn about and do for candidates helps you see the groundwork that takes place behind the scenes for candidate's elections. Seeing it and experiencing it upfront helped me see how much candidates value the people's vote. If the idea that a person's vote doesn't matter were true then why would candidates go through so much effort to get more votes? This question went through my mind throughout the program and was answered. I came to the conclusion it does matter and that since it matters we are the ones who hold the power to change our communities depending on who we vote for.

Though I learned a lot in this program I don't believe that pursuing a career in politics is my calling. Taking part in politics means you devote yourself to your community, state, or country and I don't think I'm there yet. I have to become very involved with the community and their issues and that takes time because it means gaining people's trust, which even though my people skills have evolved, I don't think they are there yet. The role that young people have in politics is speaking out for our generation. We are the future and it depends on our actions now what kind of tomorrow we'll have waiting for us. The officials elected into office in today's world will affect how our world is when we are adults. Though we can not vote yet it is in our power to use our voices such as including ourselves in programs like these to inform ourselves on how we can help our communities change for the better. -Giselle Morochi Aguilar

When we first started this internship program, I was very nervous and worried that I wouldn't be of any help to the program, but thanks to all of the inspiring candidates who were invited and expressed how important it was for us to be a part of their journey in the campaign, I felt very pleasant about my presence in every meeting we had. The most significant aspect of my internship that I believe will stay with me for the rest of my life is the terrific advice that we received from our guest speakers. This brings me back to the advice Kim Council gave, "Don't let actions of people towards you affect the way you treat others" She had proven that it was because of that very remark that she was able to come to the point where she is pushing for change through politics. If she lived by the principles of the counsel she had given to achieve such bravery, I thought to myself, I would want to live by that principle. I had always felt that politics was tricky and that I would not want to be involved in it, but the guest speakers we had during our internship changed my mind once again. Politics allows a person to advocate for societal issues that they are passionate about.This program made me realize that even if I wasn't interested in running for office, I could still work closely to support what I believe will make a positive difference. Finally, I am extremely pleased I decided to participate in this internship since it has had a significant influence on my knowledge and personal growth. -Oyinade Falope

I learned that there is no particular look, background, age etc. of a politician. Each and every politician that we have seen and heard from have had their own unique stories and have been so diverse. I have also learned specific things about campaigning in particular. The first thing is that perseverance is key. So many of the speakers that we have met have had at least one lost election and have adapted to come back and win a different one because they kept on trying. Another thing I learned is that it is never too early or too late to get involved in politics. There is always going to be something to fight for and you should let your passion speak for itself. We have met campaigners who started out as teenagers and worked their way to successful elections. We have also met another speaker who felt apprehensive about campaigning because she was married with kids at a young age, but yet she decided to go for it and is now making a significant impact. This leads to another thing that I learned, which is to always remind yourself of what you are fighting for when things get tough. What I noticed about each of the speakers was that they could clearly give an answer to what inspired them to keep going and I believe that is what kept them resilient and motivated, even when they faced challenges. 

This internship has changed my view of politics because a lot of times people view politics as very divisive and politicians as very deceptive. However, every single candidate that I have met has been extremely friendly and positive. We learned that campaigns that have so many passionate people involved bring those people together for the better. I have always been unsure of pursuing a career in politics because there weren’t a lot of people who looked like me and because of the fact that there isn’t always a positive narrative surrounding politics. But now I can see myself in the field of politics because I have been presented with people who look like me, who thought the same, still tried politics, and it worked out. 

Young people play such an important role in politics because they are the future leaders and whatever changes happen in politics will play a big role in our future. This is why I would recommend that young people at least learn the basis of politics because it affects them so much, so why not play a role in it. If I was to give young people recommendations as to where to start if they wanted to get into politics, I would say to phone bank, text bank, or even simply to get people who they know to register to vote/ participate in elections. Another thing I would say is to look for internships like this one, where they would be able to put a voice behind the face of politicians and hear advice from politicians who may have once been in their shoes. -Alexia Dainty

What I learned from this internship is that politics are not as scary and complicated as they may seem. People who look and experience the same thing as I am, trying to make my communities safer and more efficient than ever before. There are people in politics that truly do still care about Black and Brown involvement. I have learned how to promote myself when it comes to daily life and in politics. Politics are not something that is only meant for white men, but can be pursued by anybody if you truly have a passion to do so. When it comes to phone banking, text banking, and using social media as a way to promote certain people in a certain light as a text-savvy generation, has the upper hand to really get our ideas across to the public.

During this internship, I realized how much I can do even as a young person. I loved talking to real people and communicating my ideas to them and really seeing where their head was at when it came to the things I care about. My idea about politics before this was that it was really boring and that it was truly just built for adults and the only real form of government was the president and Congress and things like that, but the people that truly make local community leader are people in city councils, mayors and local politicians that are in the communities trying to make it a better beast on what they say.

I learned that despite controversy or people going against your ideas, sticking with the things that are important to you are usually the problems that need the most fixing because if you notice that other people must not set them. I really appreciate this experience because I had never looked at politics in the light that I do now and it shows how something so little can become something so big especially since right now there are so many things that we could be fighting for the politicians are not even recognizing, but based on the people that we encounter during his internship there is still some hope that people in the government care about the people who are not. This internship has made me interested in a career in politics because I personally grow up in a neighborhood and go to a school district that has a lot of problems that could use improving and I know people who experienced things have the best ideas on how to fix them because we are personally going through them and I want to be the cause of change and not a bystander. This internship has taught me how not to be a bystander when it comes to our community. I am still not able to vote but this internship has made it clear that there are so many other ways and opportunities that you can be involved in politics without actually having the ability to vote. -Emily Payamps 

When I first heard about this internship I was ecstatic. I kept up with the latest updates with utmost enthusiasm, and this internship did not disappoint. Not only has it given me a new view on life, that you don't have to choose one way of life or the other. Being a doctor or a mayor, you can simply be both, as one job uplifts the former, because you actually gain insights on what is going on in hospitals, my mind was blown, but also for the fact that there are many women of color, specifically a Black Women, who are fighting to make changes every day all day.
It has also given me inspiration to always fight for my dreams and never for the dreams of someone else's. This was huge to me as I live in a Nigerian household where one path is the only path in life. As I sometimes felt I can never be able to compete in a world that pushes me down through my intersectional traits .

Politics is not something so far away, it's something so close as your friends, your community, to even that one old lady who always says hi to you, her grandkids are old enough to vote so you can even help a campaign through networking through her. Even realizing how much more important local governments do and what specific changes they make around your city was major. I've never wanted to be something so huge like the president of some sort because I felt that power was too generalized. So seeing women who look like me in local governments and actually killing it through news outlets finding help through internships like the one I was in was amazing to see and be a part of which, which motivates me one day to be a city councilwoman or the mayor. I always wanted to give back in some form and to personally see the impact of what I did. Being a mayor and a doctor is something I can see myself truly enjoying, it would actually be more of an important hobby than a job.

Young people are an impact on this world, we rule it in a sense as we are not future leaders, but the present ones and we already are the impacters. We are living through the rules the old folks have created and we can see the damages they have done. The 13th Amendment to even police officers getting immunity despite them being the criminals hiding behind a blue badge is something that never will sit right with me. Young people have all the knowledge of the past and the present, despite us being called overly sensitive in the eyes of other countries, but we came a long way from the desensitization of racism, brutality, and learning epigenetics. When we look at any great leader like Malcolm X or Martin Luther King, we see a pattern in them. They both started very young and changed the world forever. Young people need to give themselves more credit for the power they actually wield, when we came together through social media the results were shown in the votes and Biden, and the first-ever POC woman were elected as the vice president. All in all, to the question asking what role do young people have in politics? I would say everything. -Stephanie Unero

Over the span of this program, I was able to learn many things with this amazing group of people. During this political internship I was given the opportunity to expand my communication skills. As someone who lacks the ability to openly share my ideas, this allowed me to overcome this obstacle. Not only will I use these newly learned skills later on in my high school journey, but I will carry them on to my future career path. On top of this, I was able to learn more about politics within the state of New York, which I hope to always keep in mind. I am dearly thankful for this opportunity and see exactly why programs such as this one are important in this time and age. With our generation being the ones to govern our city within the next couple of years, it is important to diversify our upcoming politicians. This will allow a unique set of voices and opinions to help the state of New York progress in the future. -Hussna Buldan

If you ran for office, what position would you run for?

If I was to run for office, I think the position I would choose is mayor of NYC. New York City has never had a female mayor and I think that it is important to diversify these roles. I feel like as someone who has lived in NYC my entire life I know and have experienced some of the problems first hand and so I would have a good idea of what needs to be done. The biggest things I would want to address is policing because of the issue of police brutality, public transportation by wanting to make it cleaner due to the ongoing pandemic, and the allocation of funding in schools throughout New York City. These are the top biggest issues for me because safety will always matter and education is very important to strengthening our society as a whole. Though I know that this would definitely be a lot of responsibility, I would hope to be the most transparent mayor I could possibly be whilst being ready to make changes that will lead the city of New York to great things. -Alexia Dainty

If I were to run for office I would run for legislative aide because it is a very important role in the office, I feel like people don’t think about the hard work and effort of people in that department. This position is important to me because of gun control and immigration and I feel like it needs more help in making it stronger. Immigration is a big deal everywhere and a lot of people come from their counties every year for a better life and they deserve that chance in life. Gun control is also a big issue that needs to be addressed because people are walking around with guns, doing illegal things with them while others carry them for safety, however everyone needs to be kept safe. 

The legislative aide’s job also requires them to write and research, briefing the boss on the issues and tracking bills as they proceed through the legislative process. That seems like a great job to have, while I’m helping people in the process of it and I like helping people. Plus their salary is great, $39,605, according to Glassdoor. -Patricia Dorsainvil

If I were to run for office I would be a mayor. I would be able to see who is police chief and can even change police schooling to be longer and far more intense, so It will be difficult for the bad apples to make it through. It’s very important for me, as I have 2 brothers who can be a victim of this crime, so it really hits home. I would also focus on programs in low income communities who need it the most and would create an education system filled with ancient history that us Americans are known to lack of. I’ll make sure that there is more flexibility in the education system so students who feel they are wasting their time learning something they will never use, which aren’t core classes can opt out and redirect their time to something they find much more enriching. There's so much more i would do but this would turn into a essay. -Stephanie Unero

I would run for Governor. The reason I would run for governor is because I feel like it’s a position where you can make a major change that affects bigger areas like an entire state, but it isn’t a crazy big position like president. It’s important to me because I feel like I would want to have a position where I can lead a big group but I’m not the most outgoing or out spoken type of person so it’s not like I would be very comfortable being president. I feel as Governor I could make changes that people want in there communities that can be useful in many more communities/ entire state. -Giselle Morochi Aguilar

What drives you?

What drives me is seeing a change in my community because it’s beautiful to see how things are changing. I stand for equal rights and justice because everyone, no matter the race, sex, or religion, deserves to be treated with respect. I treat people with respect so they can feel comfortable when they’re around other people who are different from them. Also, be comfortable in their own skin and be themselves. I really want everyone to be happy, safe, and comfortable everywhere they are. No one should feel they’re an outcast or feel like they don’t believe they belong here but they do because they deserve a chance. -Patricia Dorsainvil

To be honest, I'm not sure what I want. I just feel that we should all be allowed to live freely without having our rights violated or living under a regime that threatens our lives, hence I want this and this, I believe, is what I stand for.. My method of standing up is education; I consider educating oneself is vital in order to stand up for what I truly want. I usually see education as a cycle that may result in change. When an individual opens themselves up to being educated on critical social issues that impact vulnerable communities, such as people of color, more individuals become aware of these issues, and as a result of government officials will then recognize the severity of these societal challenges, they will be pushed to make reforms in order to safeguard vulnerable groups that are being affected. Like that the cycle repeats and the world we live in might then become better. Finally, what drives me would be excellent role models who aren't hesitant to express their ideas and speak for victims of injustice. -Oyinade Falope

The thing that drives me is becoming a civil engineer. Because everything I do is for me to be even closer to my dream of being a civil engineer to make my family proud. I stand up and stand out by trying to be involved in everything to be aware of what's going on and to be active. I want to be successful while changing stereotypes such as the small percentage of women in the construction industry. I want to be able to be a part of that industry and bring more women into it and make women the heads and leaders of big projects. -Giselle Morochi Aguilar

What drives me is to not be a victim to the things that happened to me and to take ownership over my life. I stand for my family as they are and will always be number one and I stand up and stand out by never stopping. Failure isn't the end, but motivation to do better. -Stephanie Unero

Phone Banking for the First Time

My first phone banking experience was me being very nervous. Covid not only made me get paler. But it also made me less social and far more introverted. So being the leader in a conversation with a complete stranger is something I wasn’t so comfortable with. But instead of that ruining my first experience, the stranger on the other line seemed pretty impressed by my young age and that I was reaching out to her about the election. Not only did I make an impact on her. She made an impact on me. You see, I’m the person who thinks of the worst case scenario so when something still pretty bad, but more good than what I imagined happens, I won’t be in shock or hurt as I am an empath this tactic often protected me. But she took me to a scenario greater than the best one I could’ve conjured. Phone banking touches the hearts of people and lets them feel heard. And to be the person apart of that is just extraordinary for a introverted person like myself. -Stephanie Unero

Phone banking was an experience I will continue to think about for my future because it really opened my eyes to a world of interaction about a topic with strangers, but in a comfortable way. I was nervous at first because I can barely order pizza without literally having a heart attack, but after the first call I was way more relaxed. I thought the voters would be mean and tired, but this one lady was very nice and she didn’t make me feel like politics was a waste of time like I feel a lot of people my age and a little older make it seem. I was happy to read the script, but I also went off my own opinions a little and it made the conversation very interesting. I would do this again and I think in person with a group this would be super fun too. -Emily Payamps 

The general experience of Phone Banking is really interesting because you are able to speak to people from different walks of life and try to connect with them on a voting basis. Though I ran into a lot of voicemails, it feels great to be involved and make some sort of an impact on people. Phone Banking is very helpful because it allows you to get in contact with people personally and advocate for your particular campaign. As a teenager, I think we often find ourselves stuck in this place of “what can we do to help” because we often feel as though it is hard to get involved without being an adult or that if we do we may still not be taken seriously or listened to. Phone Banking is definitely one of the ways that young people can get involved and an opportunity to have our voice heard. -Alexia Dainty

At first I was so scared of phone banking because I thought I was going to have to deal with a bunch of rude people and I just wouldn’t know how to handle that. I didn’t really get to have a conversation with someone because they just didn’t pick up the phone or it was a wrong number. So I only really left a voice message, which wasn’t scary at all. I feel like this helped push me out of my comfort zone because I really don’t enjoy talking to random people. But, knowing that they didn’t have my personal number or that they don’t know who I am helped me feel a little better about doing it. -Giselle Morochi Aguilar 

For phone banking this week I called people in my contacts list and I read the script to them but I made sound very natural and smooth. My experience phone banking has been nice because I knew what to say to the person, the script is like having a conservation starter and it’s very helpful. I would recommend phone bank to other people because you are helping someone bring a change to the community and also helping people that live in the community. -Patricia Dorsainvil

Kim Council for Brooklyn Borough President

On the date of April 30th, 2021, we began the Internship Program, where we were introduced to Kim Council’s campaign for Brooklyn Borough President. What is Brooklyn Borough President? Based on my sole knowledge, I assume that the person in this position of power manages and brings forth growing problems in Brooklyn, and finds the appropriate solution for them. This important role must not be confused with the Governor of New York or Mayor of NYC, as they hold power over the State of New York and the whole New York City region. Even though the Brooklyn Borough President doesn’t hold as much power as these two positions, they still play a huge role in our city of Brooklyn.

One of those who happen to be running for Brooklyn Borough President is longtime Brooklynite, Kim Council.  After taking a look into her campaign’s page, many of the issues she is planning to bring attention to stood out to me. Not only due to the fact that these problems are not receiving the recognition they deserve within the media, but because these are issues that impact my daily life in the city of Brooklyn. An issue in particular that spoke to me is Ms. Council’s take on Youth & Education.

The United States of America has built a name for itself, due to its outrageous student debt fees which continues to haunt Americans as they step into their adulthood lives. This puts us in shame compared to other nations which provide free tuitions such as Egypt, France, and Germany, just to name a few. With Kim Council’s designed plan, she hopes to expand and improve scholarships which will be awarded to SUNY students. If this plan were to be put in action, it will ease the burden for the next generation of students and allow them to sleep well at night.

To conclude this article, Kim Council has a very effective plan for some of the biggest issues that impact millions of Brooklyn residents. With these powerful tac-tics, she has won my full support for both her campaign and running of Brooklyn Borough President. Not only does she hope to tackle these growing issues, but she hopes to bring a brighter future for the city of Brooklyn, New York. -Hussna Buldan

I was drawn to Kim Council's strategy of believing in a community-first approach to leadership after reading "Meet Kim." This strategy has piqued my curiosity because I believe in the strength of multiple voices and because this is one of Kim Council's policies, I can confidently predict that she will be an excellent leader. Her contribution to the community includes regularly tutoring inner high school students, visiting seniors in nursing homes, and making sure families had food and toys to celebrate the holiday as a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha. She also does a lot more other things for the benefit of the community. Maybe it's because I don't know much about politics, but this policy of contributing back to the community is really heartwarming and appealing to me. Kim Council's commitment is a draw, and I think her position is essential throughout any community. She has contributed to improving critical issues like homelessness, poverty, crime, and healthcare problems that were mentioned in the article, “She raised awareness of the health disparities faced by women of colors.” These are issues that I've seen a lot of in my community, so they do have an effect on me. As a person of color, I am well aware of my limited resources, so Kim going out of her way to create more opportunities is what I appreciate, and I’m sure a lot more people will do too. Finally, the policy of believing in “a community-first approach to leadership” is important and it is a policy that many individuals would benefit from while still providing reassurance to others. -Oyinade Falope

Kim Council’s policy of wanting to “track, map, and publicize where the government spends our money” is one of the most interesting policies because it shows that she is willing to be transparent with the public in order to make allocation of resources as fair as possible. I have actually recently done a project researching how school funding contributes to the low quality of classes in New York City high schools, resulting in the discovery of a clear disparity. After interviewing our school principal, she let me and my teammates know that school funding is not completely at 100% for our school but rather at approximately 90%. This made me wonder if this disparity in funding was true for transportation, healthcare, and other government funded services. How could it possibly be fair that some schools were allowed to have full funding and others simply were not. This is a clear problem and I believe that transparency rather than secretiveness is the way to solve this issue. Furthermore, many people may not even realize the funding disparities because they are not aware that it even exists. By publicizing the inequities it will give us a better understanding of how to address this conflict, with the first step being the acknowledgement of its existence and effects. 

In my eyes Brooklyn Borough President isn’t just a winning title, but rather an impactful responsibility. This election is important because there are major reforms to be made that a deserving candidate will have the opportunity to execute. -Alexia Dainty

Voting is one of the big things to Kim Council, which is also a big thing to me as well because not everyone speaks English so they feel like their voice doesn’t count. Voting is a big thing to me because it’s a way for me or others around me to express how they feel towards something. That’s why I would always get my parents to vote because it’s also a way for my voice to be heard through their vote. Especially when the presidential campaign was going on, I was happy that a lot of people around me, including my family, went out and voted, which was helpful. Just like Kim Council, voting is just as important to me as other things and it will always be important to me. -Patricia Dorsainvil

The issue that interests me the most from Kim Council was her Immigrant policies to try to help the immigrants in our city. The reason this issue interested me the most was that she wants to find ways to help alleviate the issues immigrants have to go through especially during these hard times since they have not received any government assistance. It's as if the immigrants who are essential for every day to day jobs are being ignored and being treated less than because of their legal status. She wants to help immigrants feel secure in our city by finding ways to protect their legal status from government helping areas and keeping ICE away from our city. Immigrants due to their status are not allowed to vote even though they still are part of the community their voice is taken away because of that and have no say in what is going on in their own neighborhoods. Kim Council wants to change that by fighting for them to at least be able to vote in municipal elections and get the word out to immigrants if this right is granted to them so that they can go out and vote for their community. Overall, I see that Kim Council is definitely a people person which is something that truly interested me about her because she is keeping in mind everyone in Brooklyn. She is seeking to treat everyone in an equal manner for a better future for our communities to enjoy. -Giselle Morochi Aguilar 

Rita Joseph for NYC City Council

The issue that interests me the most from Rita Joseph's campaign is her education ideas. She wants to be able to increase funding for public education by taxing the rich and reorganizing the NYPD funding/budget. I agree with this because we need to work as a community to help improve every student's education. Taxing the super-rich is a great way to help the community because those people are loaded with money. If people who make minimum wage are required to pay taxes then why shouldn't people who make a lot more be required to pay taxes? I also like that she wants all classes to have the newest technology. I think this is great because not many students can afford tech so at least they would be able to have it at school. Providing students with the latest technology also helps them improve their education by allowing them to access other resources. Teachers are definitely underpaid after all the work they do. It's thanks to them that we have engineers, doctors, lawyers, etc, yet they don't get enough recognition economically. I completely agree with Rita Joseph wanting to increase their pay because they definitely deserve it and are owed that. Though I did not mention every one of the issues that Rita wants to fix I agree with all of them needing to be fixed or new ideas she wants to implement. Students are the future and we should do everything in our power to make sure they receive the best education possible. -Giselle Morochi Aguilar 

I found Rita Joseph’s policy to stand against racism very interesting. This is because unfortunately racism is still a problem that the society still faces. This means as a part of the society it would affect a lot of people and seeing that Rita Joseph cares deeply about this social justice issue makes me acknowledge her credibility to be a candidate. The part where it had being mentioned that, “At just 19 years old, she organized her first rally with a group she founded, Haitian Enforcement Against Racism,” this passion of Joseph has lead me to see she might actually be a solution to this issue that affects me as well as tons of other people. This simple reading about her has also allowed me to see where ambition could take you. Because of Joseph’s ambition she was able to lead a successful rally with participation of more than 150,000, which then led to the FDA rescinding it’s racist rule of preventing people of Haitan descent from donating blood. The short article of Rita Joseph had also said that, “Rita spent her twenties raising two kids while organizing protests against cuts to student MetroCards and police brutality, on top of her full-time job.” Her determination to be a part of a solution to societal issues like this has also made an impact on me; I'm not an individual with much to give, but her willingness and determination has shown how everyone can be a part of the solution. Lastly, as a person of color, I think this topic is critical because it will be one of the variables determining how my experiences will unfold as I grow older. -Oyinade Falope

I found it extremely interesting how Ms. Joseph has created this work around the working class and the working people being a part of the change. I think that to really understand the problems in a community you have to speak to those who work closely with and who are in the community. By strictly talking to those of higher power you will not get the perspective or insight that you need to truly improve a community. Considering that she is an educator, I strongly believe that she would be a great asset to our political system because she is a part of the working class and understands that the needs of the community can only be brought it by the community. I truly find it interesting how she is shining light on the problems that she has personally encountered in her own work life and that truly highlights how you focus on what you know and if you don’t know you can’t focus on it. She has made many clear statements that she supports so many different groups, but the only way that she could have support these groups is by working with them not just seeing them or reading about them. She understands the struggle and that is what is going to make her a great politician in my opinion. Not only is she proud to be a part of a community that has their problems, but she is willing to work with those problems closely and dive deep into the real problems instead of asking someone to fix it, she’s going to make moves to fix them herself and that is truly a quality to admire. -Emily Payamps

Rita Joseph’s policies of Police Reform were what stood out the most in my perspective. Police Brutality disproportionately affects Black Americans, and with the rise of social media, these events are now getting the platform that they need to establish themselves as issues in the eyes of the general public. In addition, there are still policing policies that encourage the arrest of people of color. As a Black woman myself, I have witnessed the emotional and traumatic videos of victims of police brutality and have also been aware of the policing policies that put Black Americans behind bars at a higher rate.  Now that the general public has become more aware of these issues due to the popularity of social media, the next step is planning as to how this issue has to be addressed. In Rita Joseph’s policies, she specifically mentioned helping communities predominantly impacted by the War on Drugs, abolishing arrest quotas, and even suggesting that we reinvest funding from the NYPD budget into the community and educational organizations. Rita Joseph aims to address the root of policing issues, which is where I think we need to start to end this vicious cycle.

The role that the City council plays in the lives of everyone in New York City is crucial because these policies will affect the everyday life of everyone in the city. I think this election, in particular, is important because it gives us New Yorkers an opportunity to diversify our members and address the most pressing issues. -Alexia Dainty

As a person who has family who came here from a different country, immigration is a big thing to me because there are families who are leaving their homeland and coming to America for a better life. When people leave their homeland there are different reasons that they may be leaving, it may be for a better life for their children, leaving because of a war, lack of food supplies, etc. 

It makes me happy because there is another fellow Haitian who wants to help her community by giving back and also helping other communities. Ms. Joseph shows that she puts the needs of others before hers because she wants to make them happy and be able to get the real results that they deserve. -Patricia Dorsainvil