Senior driven by passion for politics

As a shy teenager afraid of taking risks, senior Shirley Araiza never took chances for fear of failure. But when something sparked her political interest, Araiza’s passion caused her fears to subside.

After noticing the lack of youth-adult involvement during the 2012 election, Araiza decided she wanted to get more politically involved. An opportunity presented itself to apply to get involved with city leaders through The Youth Advisory Council, and she decided to apply.

Araiza began to come out of her shell when she was accepted into The Youth Advisory Council. When YAC advisor Kristi Wilson first met Araiza, she was immediately impressed. Wilson said Araiza was well spoken, gave her a good handshake and handed her two letters of recommendation instead of the required one.

“I could tell she was going to go above and beyond,” Wilson said. By participating in a group where people cared about similar issues and everyone was friendly, Araiza did not feel intimidated and even started to open up. “This was an opportunity for me to get better and do something well,” Araiza said.

She found herself forgetting to be shy because she was too busy wanting to get involved and be a part of the things around her.

“It is amazing to see her go from getting her application two years ago to where she is now. She was so shy at first, but now she leads meetings,” Wilson said.

Araiza said she is inspired by how powerful students are when displaying what they care about. The adults truly listen when that side comes through.

Wilson said that Araiza has a quality she wished she could keep in a bottle.

“[Araiza] makes [the adults] realize that youth have a voice, and it is one worth listening to.”

Araiza’s acceptance into YAC led to a trip to Washington, D.C, with the National League of Congressional Cities conference where she spoke to elected officials and learned about issues on a local and federal level. While in D.C., she took full advantage of getting to interact with members of congress like Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “When we went to D.C., the stars started to align for her,” Wilson said.

Araiza now has an internship with U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici, working alongside the legislative staff that focuses on case work and issues that constituents face in the first congressional district. Although Araiza is not directly involved with the case work yet, she observes the work and helps around the office. “The district office is not like [what] TV dramas convey. It is just a regular office with people who are helping people,” Araiza said.

Araiza is planning to double major in political science and public health when she goes to college.

“I plan on doing something in public service, but as far as public office goes, that is to be determined,” Araiza said.

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