Politics from the Heart: Bridgit Donnelly '11
Growing up near our nation’s capital in Arlington, Virgina, Bridgit Donnelly ’11 became politically aware and eager to get involved with the government at an early age. During the 2004 election, she picked up the paper every morning to follow the process but for the 2008 election, she decided to become more involved.
For a while, Bridgit was on the fence about which candidate to support. Then in 2007, she saw Barack Obama speak in Washington Square Park in New York. “Seeing all the different people from all over the city be fired up about this campaign had a huge impact on my wanting to get involved.”
During her first year at Barnard, Bridgit became a volunteer coordinator for Students for Obama and spent spring break in Pennsylvania as an intern for the primary elections. The interns quickly bonded, with many of them deciding to take time off from school and fully commit themselves to the upcoming election. “I knew that I wanted to be involved in the campaign and that it was what I wanted to focus on,” she said.
Last August, Bridgit attended the convention in Denver as a district-level delegate for Virginia. At age 19, she was the state’s youngest delegate. While the other candidates went through a laundry list of achievements, Bridgit, who was comparatively under-experienced, won the judges over with a more personal, heartfelt speech. “I spoke about how I was inspired and why I wanted to run. They later told me that they picked me because my speech reminded them why they were there.”
During the campaign, the day started with a state-wide conference call. Targeting unactive Democrats and undecided voters, Bridgit went door-to-door to distribute political literature and advocate for Obama. In addition, she acted as volunteer coordinator, recruiting and preparing volunteers. On weekdays, work ended in the office at midnight, and weekends were spent canvassing.
“It wasn’t just a job. It was a lifestyle. The experience really shaped me. I came away knowing how change happens and understanding our democracy more. It was interesting to see the grassroots activity become this huge movement, which made red states turn blue, like Virginia.”
Back at Barnard, Bridgit is taking a seminar on the aftermath of the election and decided to major in political science. Even after the election, she continues to work as field organizer for one of her fellow campaign workers who decided to run for a seat in the House. After graduation, Bridgit plans on returning to Virginia. “It is a very interesting state because it was red for so long. This was the first time since 1964 that Virginia elected a democratic president. I want to continue this spirit.”
—Julie Yang ’09
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