See Jane Do Everyday Women Doing Extraordinary Things
Kristy Pagan is an everyday woman living in Washington D.C. While growing up in Plymouth, MI, she wasn’t raised to lead a political life nor was she encouraged to get involved in politics, but early on Kristy felt the call of public service.
After starting a women’s leadership group, that grew to become the largest organization on her college campus, she participated in the White House Project training. The White House Project is a nonpartisan organization that aims to advance women’s leadership in all communities and sectors, up to the U.S. presidency.
Kristy knows the statistics of women in political office right now are very low. Even though women make up 51% of the population, only 16% of Congress and 18% of State Governors are women. Kristy is working to change that by training high school students to become political leaders. She also has her eye on running for office in the very near future.
What are you working on in Washington D.C.?
I’m working on political leadership and engaging young women in the political process. I worked for Senator Debbie Stabenow for two and a half years and recently made a career move to focus on leadership programs. I currently work for the Congressional Youth Leadership Council and train high school students to be political leaders.
Have you always been interested in politics?
I never realized that being a public official was an option for me. No one told me that I could run for office and serve in an elected position. I think from a very young age we’re not encouraged to be leaders, to speak our mind and give our opinion. I grew up in an a-political family. I vaguely remember my parents voting.
Are you going to run for political office in the future?
Yes, I’m 100% committed that I will run for political office as a state legislator in my home state of Michigan.
Has someone approached you to run?
I met Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky at a political leadership conference for women. The first thing she asked us was to raise our hand if we plan on running for political office. No one raised their hand. She said, “The number one reason women don’t run is because they are not asked to run for office.” She said, “I’m standing here before you and I’m asking you to run.”
Tell us about the training you received to run for office?
The White House Project teaches young women to know their story and communicate their story through their own value system. They integrate this with the specific skills that women need to be successful candidates and public servants. I have never paid for my training with the White House Project. They want this training to be available to all women.
How are women working together in the political system?
Senator Debbie Stabenow is one of sixteen women senators. Seeing the bond between those women in the Senate was an amazing opportunity for me to witness. For example, the female Senators make the time to have dinner with one another every month. This includes both Republicans and Democrats and they pledge not to talk about politics.
Why is it so important for everyday women to be involved and participate in the political process?
Every woman is unique and we all bring our own story. The more everyday women tell their story, especially the working moms and single moms who aren’t directly connected to our political system, the more our elected officials will understand that the decisions they are making are effecting everyone. I’d like to see our elected representation reflect the community they are serving. If there are 50% women in the population, there should be 50% women in our government.
What is your message to women around the world?
Get involved, whether that be running for political office or volunteering at your local community center. Our future is dependent on how many people step up and get involved.
Get Involved ! 5 things you can do today to ensure equal representation
- Ask and encourage a female friend to run for office.
- Your voice counts! Share your story with your elected representative or submit an editorial to your local paper.
- Support programs like the White House Project that train women to run and take the lead.
- Volunteer in your community.
- Consider running for office!
