just to set the record straight
I was named Alexa before it was cool
this time three years ago I was getting
ready to graduate from high school and I
had to make the big decision of what I
was going to major in in college I’d
always loved politics and following
political campaigns so I settled on
political science I settled on political
science and then I imagined going off to
college working on campaigns graduating
and ultimately becoming a campaign
manager for federal and state campaigns
I never saw myself personally running
for office I always saw myself as a more
behind-the-scenes type of person but
this all changed almost a year ago to
the day when I died when I decided to
toss my hat in the ring and run for City
Council of my hometown of Prescott I
knew that running for elected office as
a 20 year old female college student
would present some challenges and it did
but from those challenges I learned that
my age doesn’t define what I’m capable
of achieving along the campaign trail I
faced a lot of criticism about my age
and experience and one of those
criticisms was because I’m young and
political doesn’t mean that I can’t go I
can garner support on my own merit and
hard work
there’s oddly became a weekly challenge
I had to face especially between the
primary and general elections this was
mostly because there was a gentleman in
Prescott who had a weekly radio talk
show and on his talk show he would talk
about local elections and politics he
repeatedly shared with his listeners but
he believed the only reason I had as
much support as I did and got as many
votes as I did is because I share a name
with the Amazon echo that’s right he
popped the only reason I was elected to
the Prescott City Council was because my
name is Alexa and as you know that’s a
popular name right now but I knew this
to be untrue when I was out and about in
the community people would stop me and
tell me that they voted for me or that
they really appreciated seeing a young
person running for City Council or that
they admired my platform also callers
would call in to his radio show and
defend me by telling them all the
reasons that they voted for me other
than my name being Alexa my Anne
actions with voters was proof that they
weren’t just voting for me because I
share a name with a virtual assistant
another criticism I faced is that
because I’m young and political means
that I’m too young to elect but very
ambitious in fact in one case I was
ambitious enough to hire on the spot one
of my most interesting interactions with
voter happened when I was gathering
signatures on my nomination petitions to
get my name on the ballot when I was
gathering signatures I often targeted
younger people or folks with children as
they appreciated my candidacy a little
bit more than some of the older retirees
and press kit I was wandering around an
event and spotted a younger man in his
30s with a young son I approached a name
of my typical spiel about Who I am and
what I’m running for and afterwards he
told me oh no you’re way too young to be
on City Council and I followed up with
you no I understand your concern but let
me tell you a little bit more about
myself he cut me off and told me but
you’re very ambitious and I’d really
love to hire you at my accounting firm I
thanked him for the offer but told him I
wasn’t looking for a job but what I
really wanted to tell him was why in the
world would I want to work for you when
you just attempted to shatter my
political dreams many people not just
this guy told me I was too young or that
I didn’t know what I was getting myself
into or that I wouldn’t be able to
handle myself with the other council
members another criticism I often faced
was that because I’m young in political
means that I don’t have enough
experience this was probably the most
common criticism I received especially
when people found out that I was only
twenty years old
in fact it became a central topic at one
of the candidate forums at this
particular forum each candidate was
given the opportunity to ask another
candidate a question and I was asked by
two of the other candidates about my age
and experience they were concerned that
my experience was particularly limited
and perhaps not even enough to be an
effective council member and to this I
say when thinking about who to vote for
it is about much more than just
experience it’s about time lived in the
community intentions platform moral and
ethics and much more and I believe I was
particularly strong in those other areas
as a candidate
and clearly my message and candidacy has
resonated with the voters of Prescott in
a way that the other campaigns did not
because I was the top vote getter out of
I faced a lot of criticism during my
campaign about my age and experience but
I didn’t let it define what I was
capable of achieving my age is just a
fact of life and it’s not something that
I can change and you can’t change yours
either
so if there’s something you want to go
out and do don’t let your age or the
stereotypes about your age
define what you’re capable of achieving
I mean I’m not even old enough to drink
yet but every other Tuesday I vote to
approve liquor licenses so my message to
you tonight is don’t let your age define
what you’re capable of achieving thank
you [Applause]
I was named Alexa before it was cool
this time three years ago I was getting
ready to graduate from high school and I
had to make the big decision of what I
was going to major in in college I’d
always loved politics and following
political campaigns so I settled on
political science I settled on political
science and then I imagined going off to
college working on campaigns graduating
and ultimately becoming a campaign
manager for federal and state campaigns
I never saw myself personally running
for office I always saw myself as a more
behind-the-scenes type of person but
this all changed almost a year ago to
the day when I died when I decided to
toss my hat in the ring and run for City
Council of my hometown of Prescott I
knew that running for elected office as
a 20 year old female college student
would present some challenges and it did
but from those challenges I learned that
my age doesn’t define what I’m capable
of achieving along the campaign trail I
faced a lot of criticism about my age
and experience and one of those
criticisms was because I’m young and
political doesn’t mean that I can’t go I
can garner support on my own merit and
hard work
there’s oddly became a weekly challenge
I had to face especially between the
primary and general elections this was
mostly because there was a gentleman in
Prescott who had a weekly radio talk
show and on his talk show he would talk
about local elections and politics he
repeatedly shared with his listeners but
he believed the only reason I had as
much support as I did and got as many
votes as I did is because I share a name
with the Amazon echo that’s right he
popped the only reason I was elected to
the Prescott City Council was because my
name is Alexa and as you know that’s a
popular name right now but I knew this
to be untrue when I was out and about in
the community people would stop me and
tell me that they voted for me or that
they really appreciated seeing a young
person running for City Council or that
they admired my platform also callers
would call in to his radio show and
defend me by telling them all the
reasons that they voted for me other
than my name being Alexa my Anne
actions with voters was proof that they
weren’t just voting for me because I
share a name with a virtual assistant
another criticism I faced is that
because I’m young and political means
that I’m too young to elect but very
ambitious in fact in one case I was
ambitious enough to hire on the spot one
of my most interesting interactions with
voter happened when I was gathering
signatures on my nomination petitions to
get my name on the ballot when I was
gathering signatures I often targeted
younger people or folks with children as
they appreciated my candidacy a little
bit more than some of the older retirees
and press kit I was wandering around an
event and spotted a younger man in his
30s with a young son I approached a name
of my typical spiel about Who I am and
what I’m running for and afterwards he
told me oh no you’re way too young to be
on City Council and I followed up with
you no I understand your concern but let
me tell you a little bit more about
myself he cut me off and told me but
you’re very ambitious and I’d really
love to hire you at my accounting firm I
thanked him for the offer but told him I
wasn’t looking for a job but what I
really wanted to tell him was why in the
world would I want to work for you when
you just attempted to shatter my
political dreams many people not just
this guy told me I was too young or that
I didn’t know what I was getting myself
into or that I wouldn’t be able to
handle myself with the other council
members another criticism I often faced
was that because I’m young in political
means that I don’t have enough
experience this was probably the most
common criticism I received especially
when people found out that I was only
twenty years old
in fact it became a central topic at one
of the candidate forums at this
particular forum each candidate was
given the opportunity to ask another
candidate a question and I was asked by
two of the other candidates about my age
and experience they were concerned that
my experience was particularly limited
and perhaps not even enough to be an
effective council member and to this I
say when thinking about who to vote for
it is about much more than just
experience it’s about time lived in the
community intentions platform moral and
ethics and much more and I believe I was
particularly strong in those other areas
as a candidate
and clearly my message and candidacy has
resonated with the voters of Prescott in
a way that the other campaigns did not
because I was the top vote getter out of
I faced a lot of criticism during my
campaign about my age and experience but
I didn’t let it define what I was
capable of achieving my age is just a
fact of life and it’s not something that
I can change and you can’t change yours
either
so if there’s something you want to go
out and do don’t let your age or the
stereotypes about your age
define what you’re capable of achieving
I mean I’m not even old enough to drink
yet but every other Tuesday I vote to
approve liquor licenses so my message to
you tonight is don’t let your age define
what you’re capable of achieving thank
you [Applause]
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