I’ve been
trying for a month to write my feelings, however, words cannot express how I
feel. As I sit in my apartment in Ottawa I often find myself overcome with
emotion.
I accepted
a position this summer with the Liberal Party of Canada as a member of their
Leadership program. This in itself is a HUGE achievement; they received 4,000
applications and only had 130 positions.
I’ve spent
most of my life not feeling enough – not good enough, not smart enough, not
white enough, not wealthy enough.
My mom essentially
raised me as a single parent, my father was around but absent. He was an
alcoholic who was extremely abusive so this caused my mom to raise myself and
my siblings in women shelters. This made me feel ashamed, oh so ashamed.
I was the
girls who always desired a career in politics but I felt that was so far out of
my reach because of everything I lacked. Luckily I had people around me who saw
my potential and pushed me to pursue my dreams, pushed me to be better.
I am the
first Blackfoot to work on the Hill, I am the first member of my family to work
on the Hill. This is only the beginning.
