Politically direct
“My mom thinks I’m basically Amy Gardner from The
Wakabayashi says that many recent college graduates are not waiting to enter the political arena. She believes younger people want to get involved in issues of personal importance to them.
West Wing. Many people my age want to do things that matter and do things that make a difference in some way. They want to feel part of something bigger.” —Anne Wakabayashi ’11
| Juniata
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF EMERGE PENNSYLVANIA
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Historically, the end goal for becoming involved in politics was running for elected office. Sure, people have worked behind the scenes in campaigns since the age of Marcus Aurelius, but at some point most of them harbored fantasies of giving a victory speech to a room of cheering supporters. Well, an odd thing happened on the way to the balloon drop. It seems more and more people are content to and intent on staying in professional politics, working on campaigns, lobbying, entering careers in local, state and federal government, and finding fulfillment in public service. That trend also is playing out on the Juniata campus. Since 2010, 104 Juniatians have graduated with a Politics POE or secondary emphasis. And many of those recent grads are passing past pathways such as law school and academe in favor of fields where twentysomethings are sought out. “Politics is still a field where they care only about how good you are, not the number of (credentials) after your name,” says Dennis Plane, associate professor of politics. “It’s high pressure, high activity, and high competition, and there’s always another election around the corner, so it’s easier to get a job than perhaps some of the more traditional options.” Take Anne Wakabayashi ’11. In the five years since she left Juniata she has worked as political director for the Pennsylvania Senate Campaign Committee, and took over campaign messaging for the same committee. Then she ran two political campaigns; one for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and one for Philadelphia City Council. In December 2015 she was named executive director of Emerge Pennsylvania, one of 16 state affiliates of Emerge America, a national organization that focuses on recruiting and training Democratic women to run for office. “My mom thinks I’m basically Amy Gardner from The West Wing,” she says, referencing the fiercely feminist television character played by Mary Louise Parker. “Many people my age want to do things that matter and do things that make a difference in some way. They want to feel part of something bigger.”