Tell us a little about yourself. You can include your personal background, family, outside interests that are important to who you are as a person and a candidate.
I am a lifelong Lexington resident and grew up in a family that is actively involved in our community. Both of my parents are on Town Meeting and their involvement in our civic process has always inspired me. Most of my life has been devoted to my education; I graduated from LHS in 2019 and the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2023. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Commonwealth Honors College with a B.S. in economics and a BBA in business management from the Isenberg School.
I am deeply interested in our history and democratic traditions. I am a new member of the Lexington Minutemen, and am passionate about remembering and honoring those who sacrificed so that we could build a better world. I want to play my part in realizing that vision for our community and for the generations to come.
Why are you running for Town Meeting?
I want to get more involved in my community. I am incredibly fortunate to have grown up in a community with such a rich history of civic engagement. I want to repay the favor by giving more time and effort back to Lexington; I want to roll up my sleeves and get into issues that will help all of us in town.
How has your past experience — whether in your professional life, elected office, or as a community leader — prepared you for a role in Town Meeting?
My past experience with the Boy Scouts of America has prepared me for a role in Town Meeting. I am very proud of earning the rank of Eagle Scout with the BSA, but this was not a goal that I achieved on my own. Throughout my eight years with Lexington’s Troop 160, I was continually supported by other scouts and adult leaders, both through active guidance and as role models to look up to. As a scout, I was active in supporting our troop’s service projects, and I later applied the skills that I learned to lead my own project at the Idylwilde Community Garden.
If elected, I anticipate a similar team dynamic in Town Meeting. I want to learn how to participate and lead within our civic system, while also contributing to meaningful proposals. I hope that I can gain valuable experience so that one day I can take the initiative myself, leading others on town-wide issues on boards and committees.
I am a firm believer in dialogue. Quod omnes similiter tangit, ab omnibus comprobetur. What touches all equally should be approved by all. If we can get every citizen in Town talking about what’s on the warrant, I believe that we can come to decisions that address all concerns and adequately balance the respective tradeoffs. We are not always going to agree, but we can always compromise. As long as we respect our differences and the need to balance our viewpoints, I think that we can usually arrive at conclusions of which we can all approve.
I have observed Town Meetings for several years, and have even reported on last year’s opening session. I am regularly struck by the professionalism of our longtime moderator Deborah Brown and how she is able to foster and require respectful and calm discourse at Town Meeting. Cordiality, in my opinion, is necessary to arrive at harmony between diverse viewpoints. I will strive to be civil and polite as a Town Meeting member, and talk to as many of my neighbors as I can in order to reach a balanced position.
What is the most important issue in this election to you personally, and what ideas do you have about how to address this issue?
Education speaks to me more than any other issue. Having recently graduated from our school system, it is important to me that the quality of our schools continues to improve. It would be unacceptable to me if future students have fewer opportunities than I had.
The new Lexington High School project is obviously critical if we want our students to continue succeeding. Making sure that we pass the upcoming debt exclusion and move forward with the Bloom plan will be a priority of mine. The Bloom design may not be a perfect plan, but I believe it to be the best out of all alternatives put forth in previous sessions, and I do not want the perfect to be the enemy of the good.
However, while I support the plan as it is proposed, I don’t want us to forget those who we are making it for. I think that the Town should make a greater effort to dialogue with the LHS community. Graduating seniors, educators, and administrators alike should be presented with detailed surveys so that our boards and committees can arrive at proposals that are more targeted to the needs of our students and teachers. Who else can better understand the priorities for the new LHS?
I would be honored to earn your vote on March 3rd. Thank you for taking the time to read about me.