My political career started earlier than most. By spring break of eighth grade, I was rubbing elbows with Senator Marco Rubio and Kelly Ayotte and exchanging polite hellos with Donald Rumsfeld. None of this was by choice, however. I'll save you a very long story and just say that I got into some trouble on a school trip that ultimately turned my spring break trip in Atlantis into a week sitting in a cubicle across from my dad's office.

During that week, I loathed my dad. Up until that moment, I really had no idea what he did for a living and honestly, I had no desire to experience it myself. As the week progressed, I came to truly understand how the world of politics works. I was exposed to so many different groups in Washington, whether it be lobbyists, senators, representatives, or former secretaries.

I'll admit that at the time I didn't fully grasp the gravity of meeting someone like Marco Rubio, but my dad was right when six years ago, he leaned over to me and said, "this guy is going to be a big deal someday." As my education progressed, I became incredibly interested in government. I realized that it was so much more than a bunch of old white men sitting around discussing budgets.

I came to realize that politics covers so many topics that interest me. I could help women gain equal pay, or help to allocate funds in support of global healthcare, or raise awareness for a lack of gender equality in the Middle East. The possibilities were endless and by my senior year of high school, I was hooked.

My senior year, I was beyond excited to be taking AP government. I had an amazing teacher that introduced the class to so many interesting topics that were a far cry from the AP curriculum. However, the class was dominated by males, and honestly, I don't know why that surprised me. The world of politics is dominated by men so why shouldn't my high school government be that way also?

I firmly believe that class is what really sparked my desire to make an impact on American politics. Not only because I have a lot of passion for policy but also because there is still such a stigma about women in politics, whether it be related to child care, equal pay, or even the stupid theory that women are too emotional to be in positions of power.

I love politics because there is such a direct path to make a difference, because even though we have centuries worth of history putting women and minorities on the back burner, we now have an opportunity to change that reputation within our government. Finally, I have to thank my dad for forcing me to go to work with him and sit in a cubicle for a week. By giving me the opportunity to learn how he makes an impact on the world, it really inspired me to take the same path in my life. So thank you, daddy, for everything.