In Lansing, a common “get to know you” question is “How did you get into politics?” If you’ve heard my answer, you’ll know that my response is always, “Well, my mom is a high school government teacher!” Growing up as not just the teacher’s kid but the government teacher’s kid is why I’m in my career today. She taught me everything I know and instilled in me from a young age regarding the importance of understanding how our government works, learning our country’s history, getting involved in my community, and exercising my right to vote. But beyond that, my childhood is sprinkled with unique learning experiences I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Most teachers’ kids know the drill – spending evenings in your parent’s classroom after each day of school, completing daily “assignments” throughout the summer to continue your learning, helping grade anonymous multiple-choice tests after you’re done with your homework to earn extra cash, and already knowing almost every teacher you’ll have before you’re even in kindergarten. Also, growing up under the expectation that your studies and grades will always take top priority over all other activities until you turn your tassel at graduation.
For me, being a teacher’s kid was all the above and more! It was…
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- Drawing a picture of the U.S. Capitol as my dream vacation destination in kindergarten while my friends drew Michigan beaches and Disney World.
- Writing letters to my legislators throughout my childhood to urge their support or opposition to issues that were important to me.
- Learning the basics of campaign management (long before I started volunteering in college) when my mom stayed up with me to make signage, DIY political ads, and swag to distribute while I asked my classmates to elect me to the Student Council for the first time in 4th
- Passing the State Capitol Building on the school bus on my way to a field trip and being more excited about that than the actual destination, then finally visiting as a 5th grader and excitedly telling my mom that I was going to work there one day.
- Getting excused from class to walk to the High School to listen to then-Senator Carl Levin and others give presentations to my mom’s students over the years.
- Eagerly awaiting the State of the Union to compete against the rest of my family for the first SOTU Bingo each winter.
- Skipping the middle school trip to D.C. so I could visit later with my mom as my tour guide instead.
As I’ve gotten older and my dreams of working in government and politics have become a reality, my mom has remained my biggest cheerleader. I will always be thankful for her showing me that with hard work, dedication, and an eagerness to continue learning, you can do anything. For all these reasons and more, I will always be excited to tell people all about my favorite teacher and the reason I’m in my career today. Love you, Mom!
