DELEGATE KATRINA CALLSEN
Virginia’s 54th District
Service: Teach for America
Katrina Callsen is a Deputy City Attorney for Charlottesville and the Chair of the Albemarle County School Board. Her father was born during a time when interracial marriage was illegal in Virginia, resulting in her grandparents being unable to marry and their family roots being cut. This had a generational impact on her family’s relations. In 2016, Katrina and her father’s family were reunited, who surprisingly lived near her.
Katrina’s parents, who were a teenage, interracial, pregnant couple in Virginia in 1984, both dropped out of high school. They got married, but were not welcomed in school. Her father joined the military, which led Katrina to grow up as a proud military brat. Despite the serious financial struggles of growing up in a large enlisted family, Katrina’s parents stressed the importance of education, which inspired her to attend Yale University and UVA Law on academic scholarships. She worked fast food and customer service jobs to support herself during her time there.
Today, Katrina’s dual roles as an elected leader for Albemarle County and Deputy City Attorney for Charlottesville have given her the unique experience of witnessing the impact of state laws on her community daily. She works tirelessly to improve academic achievement and empower students with skills and opportunities. Having experienced firsthand the consequences of having fundamental rights denied, Katrina knows how vital it is to have a hard-working representative advocating for the future.
Katrina’s priorities are protecting women’s reproductive rights, enacting meaningful gun legislation and ensuring that every child has access to an equitable and well-funded public education.