Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley ’92 Returns to Campus for Special Event

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley ’92 returned to her alma mater to share a special screening of She Dared to Dream: Ayanna Pressley, a 28-minute documentary short by NAACP Award-winning director Abby Ginzberg, celebrating Pressley’s inspiring journey. After the screening, the congresswoman sat down with Parker senior and Student Government President Trisen Phillips to discuss the film and her current work in Congress. 

The short film highlighted Congresswoman Pressley’s commitment to causes such as immigration, reproductive freedom, and the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act. Throughout the film, Pressley was lauded by several of her congressional peers including Maxine Waters (D-Cal.) who said, “We need to have the kind of individuals who really care about government, who care about public policy, who understand how government works. Ayanna Pressley is that kind of person.”

Pressley demonstrates care and concern for her constituents through kind personal interactions and bold speeches supporting policies that truly make a difference. Whether she is speaking to a group of students or addressing the House floor, her dedication to her role in making a difference is very apparent. 

Part of this dedication comes from her love of community, for which she credits her mother and her Parker education. “The work that I do from a policy standpoint is to create ecosystems where community can exist and thrive, and my commitment to that community—to value every member of our community, to lift every voice—has everything to do with my time here at Parker.” 

In her conversation with Phillips, Pressley spoke about the power of being a legislator and using policy to make a difference, and she also discussed the power of young people and why she supports lowering the voting age to 16. She said, “Young people need to be developing the strategies and then implementing them, and voting is a part of that. It’s also habitual. It’s habit-forming, and I think the earlier we can get young people voting, the earlier we can get them engaged with the process, and the more they’ll remain engaged and continue to hold people in positions of power accountable.”

Parker is proud and grateful to have Pressley return to share her story with the community, serve as a true example of Parker’s mission in action, and inspire the next generation of Parker graduates to do the same.