We all know that girl. The girl that's pursuing these insane dreams and goals all the time. I am that girl. I'm the girl that's running for Congress someday and someday soon. I'm the girl who's trying to be the change she wants to see in the world and it's something I've been my whole life. I'm not sorry for it, either.

Ladies, it's time we stop apologizing for ourselves. It's time that we stop apologizing for our education. It's time we stop apologizing for our aspirations to run for Congress or run for Senate. Ladies, we need you now more than ever. I don't care what your political affiliation is, but we need you to get out there and follow those dreams no matter what your views are.

Back in February, I was at a Campus Women Lead conference. It was a conference that focused on female leadership at college campuses and being the catalyst for women to run in the future. The guest speaker honed in on a huge problem in our society. She focused on the fact that a man could be twenty-five with a college degree and think that he's more than capable of running for office, which he very well may be. On the same token, a woman could be twenty-five with a master's degree and four years of experience and still think that she needs another master's and a Ph.D. before she's qualified to run for any type of office. It's this exact type of mentality that we need to get rid of and stop having.

In 2014, I applied for an internship with a state political party, not believing that I had any chance. I did. I was very successful with it, and it turned into a director role by the end of the election season. In 2015, I worked in public policy at the Rhode Island State House. I was brought into that internship when the person I had worked for at the previous internship thought I'd be an incredible fit. I didn't believe him, but I was. I was then asked to write for a public access talk show. Again, I didn't think I was qualified. Yet again, I was. That very same year I was offered a spot to speak on that public access show, and I didn't think I was in any way qualified to be on television and talk about state level politics, but I was. Then in 2016, I took a year off to pursue the military. I didn't think I was capable, but I was. Finally, in December of 2016, I got a phone call from a man that I hadn't met many times but I knew his name. He was calling me to ask me if I would be his second-in-command in a state political organization. I still didn't think I was qualified, but here I am ten months into the office, and here I am, extremely qualified.

Ladies, you are qualified. Stop doubting yourself, your education, and your beliefs. Find what drives you, find what ignites the flame inside of you to change the way things are done and be the one who smashes the glass ceilings. I'm rooting for you, and so is every other woman out there that wants to see a change. Get out there, be the change that you want to be and be motivated on the way. We need you now more than ever, and the time for a change is absolutely now.