Regina Monge is an elected official, and she’s still in college.
In the interview above, listen to LatinasRepresent Intern Nicole Castillo interview Monge about her decision to run for the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) in DC. Regina shares her fears about running, the cost of her campaign (only $58!), the lessons she learned on the campaign trail, and her hope for more Latinas to own and share their leadership and expertise.
A passionate young feminist making her way, Regina moved from Miami to DC to study international relations at American University. She is passionate about personal politics, representation, and how systems of oppression operate and intersect across local and global landscapes. Currently, she is the ANC for single-district 3D 07. In this role, she represents about 2,000 constituents in a hyperlocal form of government that is unique to DC.
When asked what advice she’d give to other young Latinas considering running for office, Monge said:
“When you first have that instinct of ‘Wow, I want to do that’, make sure to look into it and follow through. Take up people and mentors when they offer to help you out…own the fact that you want it! And that you are qualified for it, and if you’re not, you’re willing to work until you are. I think that is very helpful, because a lot of times, that gets in the way of us even trying.”
You can read more about Regina’s public service journey here.
This blog post originally appeared on LatinasRepresent
