Girl Power in our Nation’s Capitol

Margi Vanderhye, formerly of the VA House of Delegates, discusses her experience in politics with GWU students

Inside the beltway, as political operatives discussed the latest dynamics in the race for president, a different kind of political discussion was taking place just a few blocks from K Street.  The topics were significant: student safety, tuition prices, and access to health services.  Participants were practicing their speeches, focusing on issues they wanted to tackle.  The session was led by messaging guru Liz Chadderdon, President and Founder of the Chadderdon Group.  Ms. Chadderdon enlightened the group on the do’s and don’ts of effective campaign messaging, critical skills for their future campaigns for student government.  This was one of the many highlights from this past weekend’s Elect Her—Campus Women Win training on the George Washington University campus in our nation’s capitol.

To kick off the day, AAUW’s Virginia State President Caroline Pickens welcomed participants and talked about how far women have come in our access to education.  She talked about the great work that AAUW has done over the years to empower girls and women through university education and the need for more of us to step up and lead at our colleges and universities.

Over a working lunch, former Virginia Delegate Margi VanDerhye gave a powerful talk about the qualities of a leader.   Among Delegate VanDerhye’s important points, she conveyed the need for a political candidate to understand who she is as a person because this understanding and confidence will make her the most effective kind of candidate.  She inspired everyone to step up and lead in politics because running for office is among the most selfless acts a leader can take — to be a representative for people.

The end of the training wrapped with a hands on campaign simulation that required participants to move around campus to secure votes for a mock campaign.  When I first explained this exercise to them, they were pretty shocked.  But they quickly mustered the energy and excitement to get out on campus and practice the skills they had learned that day to pitch why fellow students should vote for them.  I noticed that as soon as I gave directions, at least one of the Elect Her participants whipped out cell phone to figure out exactly where her friends were.   The competition was heated, but in the end Ayesha Monga Kravetz won the campaign with 34 votes.

It was a fitting end to a day of high energy, motivational speakers, and important discussions about how more young women can come together and exhibit their girl power today and tomorrow right in the heart of our nation’s political power center.

This post written by Running Start Executive Director Jessica N. Grounds.