My Superpower Anonymous

I possess superpowers that I inherited from my namesake, Geraldine, my dad’s late mother. Grandma Jeri was the daughter of Portuguese immigrants who worked on the pineapple plantations of Hawaii and the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard (during the 1941 bombing!). She dreamed of becoming a lawyer, and although she was poor and unable to pursue her education, she fought against the injustices of her time. That drive to fight and make the world a better place is what I like to think of as the superpower that was handed down to me.

I am putting my superpower to good use through politics. I joined Junior State of America (JSA) my junior year to learn the skills that I will need out in the real world in a safe, nonjudgmental environment. Currently I am my chapter’s Chief of Staff, where I have participated in school-wide debates on the merits of gun control, the death penalty, and the College Board (ha!). Additionally, I am Director of Assembly Outreach for the JSA Southern California State Cabinet. In this capacity, I recently co-organized a midterm congressional candidate forum for high school students and community members throughout Southern California.

My participation in JSA further inspired me to join a grassroots battleground...