Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was born on June 26, 2018, in Bronx, New York, to a working-class Puerto Rican family. When she was little, her parents moved to Yorktown for her and her brother's education. Although the distance moved was short (30 min away), the new opportunities were immense. After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University to major in Economics and International Relations. While getting her degree, she got an internship with Senator Ted Kennedy. She dealt with many immigration issues--primarily focusing on the effects/heartbreak of separated families. After graduating, Ocasio-Cortez returned to her family and became a community organizer until the recession and her father's death forced her to become a waitress to deal with the financial situation. The internship and the money problems gave her an inside look at the hardships of Latinos, undocumented youths, DREAMers, and working-class people.

Therefore, during the presidential election of 2016, Ocasio-Cortez worked as a volunteer organizer for Bernie Sanders in the South Bronx to expand her electoral organizing and activism skills. However, it wasn't until the Standing Rock pipeline problem that she decided to dedicate her life to public service and launched her first campaign for Congress. In June 2018, future Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez shockingly defeated Joe Crowley (who had been in Congress since 1999). She won 57.5% of the vote, while Crowley had just 42.5%. It was extremely surprising because her campaign came entirely from donations and volunteer grassroots (no corporations). Furthermore, this was her first time running for office, and a year before she had been a bartender. Regardless, in January 2019, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez was sworn in. She became the youngest woman and Latina ever to serve in Congress.

During her first term, she introduced 23 pieces of legislation, the first one being the Green New Deal resolution, a national mobilization 10-year movement that would reduce air and water pollution, fight the intertwined economic, social, racial, and climate crises in the country and put millions to work in good-paying, union jobs repairing the nation's infrastructure. Other - but no less important - pieces of legislation Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez introduced where the Loan Shark Prevention Act (capped credit interest rates at 15%) and 'Just Society' bills (would raise the federal poverty line, include immigrants in social safety net programs, require federal contractors to pay a living wage, strengthen renters' rights, and decrease recidivism).

Surprisingly, three of her bills passed into laws (a great achievement considering the Senate and Presidency where in control of her opposing party). One bill shifted $5 million from the failed war on drugs to treatment for opioid addiction. Another bill secured $10 million to clean up toxic bombardment sites in Puerto Rico. However, perhaps the most important bill was a plan between Congresswoman and Senator Schumer to include a Funeral Assistance Program into the COVID-19 relief package. To date, this program has reimbursed over a billion in funeral expenses to Americans who lost loved ones to COVID-19. The Congresswoman also pressured a defense contractor to return $16.1 million in federal funding through committee hearings. Additionally, she forced a major pharmaceutical company into lowering the price of a drug that reduces HIV transmission. In January 2021, Ocasio-Cortez was sworn in for her second term in Congress just before the January 6 Capitol breach.

Before this, Rep. AOC had already gained many media supporters on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, etc., for her progressive moves and ideas. She was well known for her diverse background and position (as a colored woman in a political position), and her outspoken tweets about 'controversial' topics. She is also well known for her fashion choices; her bold red lipstick, hoops and red nailpolish when being sworn in, her "Tax The Rich" Met Gala dress and many more. When the Texas abortion law went up, and Rep. AOC gave her opinion about it, she gained even more followers (and haters). Rep. AOC has become a hope for women of color, menstruating people, rape survivors, environmentalists, working-class people, college students with ginormous loans, etc. Many are hoping she will run for President, myself included.

I find Ocasio-Cortez incredibly inspiring. I love how she speaks up about her beliefs in topics others have not. I love how she wants to save the earth (the Green New Deal is a great plan). Ocasio-Cortez has great debate points to beat conservative views. She has an excellent way of making her voice heard in a society that is not very accepting of her views. I love how she is paving the path for so many minorities and people of different communities so they can have a better future. I hope she runs and wins for President, because I think she is exceptionally well suited for the position.