Communicating with the College Democrats of America

Getting involved with the College Democrats of America (CDA) helped me to recognize the importance of building a network of engaged, public service-oriented, young Americans. As the official youth outreach branch of the DNC, CDA brings together thousands of students from across the country for a common cause. Serving as the National Communications Director for such a large, multifaceted organization has taught me the importance of developing a cohesive and coherent message, while working to represent a diverse range of voices.

I first became involved at the chapter level, as First Year Representative of the Smith College Democrats. One week, as I was giving a presentation on the week's political news, I noticed an unfamiliar face in the room. It turned out to be the national president of CDA, and she was kind enough to reach out to me and engage me in a conversation about my interests in communication and politics. She told me about an opening with CDA as Traditional Media Coordinator and encouraged me to apply. That simple interaction led me to the position I have now, and it reinforced my appreciation of successful women helping other women.

Since that first interaction with College Democrats at the national level, I have deepened my commitment to the organization, which has helped me to develop my communications and media outreach skills and to build lifelong friendships. Recently, I had the oppotunity to attend the 2013 White House State of the Union Social, an event which brought together social media experts and enthusiasts from across the country to engage with senior White House officials and the public.