I grew up in a town where everybody knows everybody. In 2016, I felt like I didn't recognize anybody. I was watching our democracy come apart at the seams, so I did the only thing that made sense. I got involved.

First locally, designing campaign materials and knocking doors to help pass a school levy. Then nationally, learning everything I could about showing up for the candidates and causes I believed in. Organizing, creating content, fundraising, figuring out what it looked like when all of those things were actually working together — and so much of that was happening on digital platforms, where politics was moving faster than ever before.

My generation grew up on these platforms. It's where we formed our opinions, found our people, and started paying attention to the world. It's also where politics is being won and lost in real time. I'm here because I believe that if we tell this story right, the story of servant leadership and a different kind of politics, we can actually reach people who are ready for something different.