By Michael Hill
Correspondent
Watch out for 16-year-old Newark native Natalie Arroyo — an Arts High School junior bitten by the political bug in elementary school.
“I was told I was always very good at it because I always put a lot of passion into it,” she said.
Natalie could become a chapter in professor Christina Bejarano’s next book on whether Latinas run for office on their own or are recruited. At the Center for American Women and Politics’ “Ready to Run” two-day conference at Rutgers, Bejarano spoke about her current book and how Latinas should see their ethnicity and gender as advantages.
“Latinas also have some potential advantages to be running in places like the Midwest and the South because those areas of the country have had a hudge Latina influx in the population. Because they can have some advantages and because they are seen as qualified candidates their being sought after right now,” Bejarano said.
“When we’re in that room, we’ve got to show up and show out,” said Barnabas Health Executive Vice President Michellene Davis.
Davis shattered the glass ceiling as an executive vice president at Barnabas Health. She insists, inspires and implores her sisterhood of all ethnicities “to go for it” in politics and life.
“In this space, in the ready to run world, this my, friend is utopia. This is where the magical unicorn dances with the friendly dinosaur. In this space we teach you how to train your dragon,” Davis said.
Davis offered individual advice in the Q and A with Katie Cassidy.
“I feel as though the people in the room are devaluing me simply because of my age and that I haven’t had the same experience that they have. So, I ask of you maybe for a little bit of advice,” Cassidy said.
“When someone raises their voice at you, lower yours. Either singing on a choir or preparing yourself for community theater will teach you how to breathe from your diaphragm,” Davis said.
This is the 15th year of Ready to Run Campaign Training for Women and it comes in the shadows of one woman inching ever closer to representing one of the major political parties as the presidential nominee.
“But it really is a continuation of a long story which is how do we make sure that we make our democracy look like America,” said Center for American Women and Politics Director Debbie Walsh.
Natalie Arroyo agrees.
“I’m open to the possibilities of running for office some day,” she said.
Natalie Arroyo, getting Ready to Run.