A granddaughter of a Pennsylvania factory worker and coal miner, and of immigrants from Armenia, Ireland, and Italy, I was raised in working and middle-class neighborhoods by parents who came from large, extended families. My parents were musicians and teachers and from them I learned persistence, the value of hard work, the importance of service, and standing up for what I believe in.
When we moved to Lexington, as a young family twenty-five years ago, it was through the Town's affordable housing program. My husband was born and raised here and still had deep roots in the community. We purchased our forever home five years later.
My most powerful experiences have come from working on local and state level issues. I was twice-elected to serve on Lexington's School Committee, including as Chair, during the worst recession of our lifetime. Those experiences taught me the value of earnest questions and a soft heart. I've served on the Leadership Team of the Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts and as Governor Patrick's Parent Representative appointee to the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Both have taught me what it takes to both advocate for progressive change and to navigate the body to forward that agenda on the state level.
We're in the first year of a new, two-year legislative session. State legislators worked quickly to file their bills. Activists urge them to sign-on to the bills that move us forward. We will continue to work to move the issues, speaking out at public hearings and lobby days, with the understanding that we are driven by the the values that shaped us, as well as those we choose to live by.
When we moved to Lexington, as a young family twenty-five years ago, it was through the Town's affordable housing program. My husband was born and raised here and still had deep roots in the community. We purchased our forever home five years later.
The loss of our family's health insurance (following the tech bubble bust in the early 2000s), proved to make me a stronger advocate. As a working mom with three young children I was beside myself with worry, yet I successfully negotiated coverage for our family from my employer, even though I wasn’t working full-time and my employer was reluctant to do so. I’ve learned to navigate a complex system of special education services and I know the heartbreaking loss of a loved one to opioid addiction.
It’s my story that motivates me to speak up for progressive change—before governmental bodies, elected officials, and other organizations that make decisions affecting children, families, and our communities. From revenue options to workers’ rights, paid family and medical leave to improved funding for public education and public transportation, I champion quality public services and policies people need to overcome the challenges they face everyday.
My most powerful experiences have come from working on local and state level issues. I was twice-elected to serve on Lexington's School Committee, including as Chair, during the worst recession of our lifetime. Those experiences taught me the value of earnest questions and a soft heart. I've served on the Leadership Team of the Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts and as Governor Patrick's Parent Representative appointee to the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Both have taught me what it takes to both advocate for progressive change and to navigate the body to forward that agenda on the state level.
Photo credit: Personal family photo of great-grandfather Nubar, great-grandmother Rose Iskandarian, and grandfather Charles as a toddler, circa 1904.