One woman described what it was like to be the youngest state delegate serving in the country. A second spoke about raising three children while running for office—four times. A third discussed the ins and outs of overseeing Gov. Larry Hogan’s social media presence during his campaign. Still another talked about being the evening anchor for Fox45 Evening News during election season and beyond.
These women were participating in “Training Ms. President: College Women’s Candidate Training Program,” a two-day workshop held at Washington College in Chestertown, MD, and attended last week by 20 female college students—half from Goucher College and half from Washington College.
Developed by Mileah Kromer, director of Goucher’s Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center, and Melissa Deckman and Christine Wade, political science professors from Washington College, the event allowed female college students to hear from professionals what it takes to run for political office. Sessions focused on campaigning essentials such as social media, presentation of self, messaging, and candidate recruitment, and it included perspectives from some of Maryland’s top female leaders.
“Rarely do female students list ‘holding public office’ as a career aspiration. We hope this program can play a small part in changing that mindset,” said Kromer. “We’re going to try to plant the seeds of candidacy when they’re young, and when the opportunity presents itself, they’ll know how to do it.”
Chelsea Akibo Betts ’16 said one of the main things she learned was how to present her personal narrative. The psychology major said a common theme was also developing an authentic identity.
Guadalupe Sosa ’18, a business management major and music minor, agreed, adding that more than one speaker mentioned the need to be genuine. “You should always define yourself before your opponent defines you,” she said.
The program was purposefully kept small so the students could have more intimate and one-on-one experiences with the public servants, said Kromer. To choose the participants, she asked faculty members to recommend female students from all academic backgrounds who exhibited leadership traits.
“Typically female candidates come from education, business, social services, and healthcare,” she said. Kromer interviewed students and found it tough to select candidates. “I think it speaks to the quality of our students,” she said.
One of the speakers, Carol Randall ’76, president of the Maryland Federation of Republican Women, encouraged students to get involved and plan ahead.
Another, Kelly M. Schulz, secretary for the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, pointed out that women make up 56 percent of the national electorate. “I love talking to young people about what the future looks like for them,” she said.
The summit included lunch with the panelists, and Schulz was placed at a table with Goucher students. “It was nice to have a private time to chat. It’s all about women building confidence and understanding the barriers that they have in their minds,” she said. “Be confident in what you’re doing and passionate about what you want to achieve.”
The event is a way to honor the legacy of Sarah T. Hughes, said Kromer. Although the Goucher alumna is most known for swearing in Lyndon B. Johnson after Kennedy’s assassination, she was also a Texas House of Representatives member. “This is something that is really important: that we do a program that shows what an inspiration she was to women in politics,” Kromer said.
The event is scheduled to be held at Goucher next year.