Young people are often encouraged to get involved in their communities. Whether it be through volunteering to clean up beaches or working on political issues, there is always an opportunity to grow in the tradition of giving back. Former Kalāheo student Natalia Hussey-Burdick found her passion to get involved from a young age. Now Hawaii State Representative for District 50, Hussey-Burdick serves Kailua Town, Kāneʻohe Bay, and the Marine Corps Base.
She shares her insights on her experience in the political world while also advising young people about community involvement. Advocating for various issues at a young age, Hussey-Burdick’s parents were passionate about their community which naturally exposed her to what she ultimately wanted to do.
“They started out by taking me to rallies and protests and stuff when I was young, and so Iʻve always kind of,you know, politics, especially local politics, was kind of a household thing for me. So it was really interesting to me, and so I was really involved in a party, and while I worked to support myself through college, I developed a relationship with some of our local representatives and senators through the party,”
While many may assume that success in politics is attributed to the number of degrees earned in higher education, Hussey-Burdick believes this is not the case. After graduating from Kalāheo High, she took an alternative path due to her home circumstances. “My parents were divorcing
and selling the house. After getting my GED while working full time, I started attending Windward Community College (WCC) where I really started kind of thriving in my education studies.” At WCC and despite any stigma there may be about community colleges, she encountered
professors with a passion for teaching who encouraged students to take advantage of all the resources at the school. Summing up her post-high school studies, she concluded, “I have been to WCC, KCC, and UH Mānoa and, while I love my alma mater, UH Mānoa, I love the
community colleges even more.”
Based on her positive experiences at WCC and KCC, she encourages students to give due consideration to community colleges where classes are smaller, enabling professors to give individual attention to each student. She advises students to look past any perceived stigma, see the beautiful campuses, and take advantage of excellent resources and fantastic
Professors. For students who may want to go into the field of politics, Hussey-Burdick says that a college degree is not required for the job, but what is needed are many different voices from all elements of society. “You donʻt need a super impressive resume to work here at the Capitol, but what we actually need is more diversity in office. We need teachers, we need mechanics, we need people from all walks of life. Itʻs not a robust discussion if all we have here are attorneys.”
How did Hussey-Burdick become a State Representative? On a career path toward medical school, she graduated in pre-med from UH Manoa in 2017 and was looking for a job in the medical industry. However, her goals changed dramatically when State Senator Cynthia Thielen offered her an internship in her office at the State Capitol where she became intrigued with the political process—hearings, bills, and everything else—and immediately realized
Lawmaking was her calling. In 2018, she served as Chief-of-Staff for the House of Representatives and now serves as Hawaii State Representative of District 50. For anyone considering a political career, she summarizes her day-to-day work. Since the State Legislature meets from January to May with only 60 session days, the legislative process is quick and intense. Votes are taken on several thousands of bills, but only about 300 make it
through the entire process.
While young people may think they can’t speak up or that no one will listen, Hussey-Burdick urges them to express their views and concerns to lawmakers who are very open to hearing from them. Write testimonies, track bills, consider opposing viewpoints, defend one’s own
viewpoint, and take risks. Whether there is a desired outcome, taking the risk builds character and elicits the respect of others, including respect from lawmakers. For students and others interested in working at the Capitol, including as interns, Hussey- Burdick says there is a process for applying. For details, go to Employment Opportunities with the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives (hawaii.gov)
Politics aside, Hussey-Burdick advises students that there are many satisfying ways to give back to their community, for example, environmental cleanup of Hamakua Marsh, beach cleanups, and volunteering with service organizations to help those in need. Overall, Hussey-Burdick says, “I just want to see a world where everybody can be themselves, and where everybody pitches in to make the world a better place.”