Hello Wakefield!
I'm excited to be running for Town Council in the April 28th, 2026 municipal election.
I aim to fight for housing and affordability, a bright and self-determined future for downtown Wakefield, and to "Break the Cycle" of the status quo.
My story is probably a lot like yours.
I am a renter, a service worker, and a student just like so many young people trying to get a foothold on the American Dream. I come from a big, Italian and Polish family of blue-collar workers, military veterans, and educators, whose familial ties were unfortunately frayed early in my life due to old age, illness, and early death. I went to Middlesex Community College after high school to save money on education, and I worked hard to graduate with high marks under the MassTransfer program, which allowed me to smoothly and affordably transfer to the only public research university in our capital city: UMass Boston.
I learned so much about life from the friends and connections I made at this working-class, international university I also learned a lot about administration at a public institution. Working at the William Joiner Institute gave me the opportunity to collaborate with some of the most wonderful and insightful veterans I’ve ever met. At the Mass Media (UMass Boston's student-run newspaper), I helped international students develop their unique voices and express their opinions and engaged with staff, faculty, and administrators. I also worked with advocacy campaigns, which taught me quite a bit about grassroots organizing, lobbying, and Massachusetts politics.
After we both graduated, my partner and I moved to Wakefield in 2024 to be closer to her work, and we dived right into our new local community. I had been a member of the North Shore Model Railroad Club since before moving, and we quickly joined the Wakefield Democratic Town Committee upon moving in. We’ve also made connections with local business owners, Project: Pop-Up, the Wakefield Food Pantry, the Boys and Girls Club, and local elected leaders. I regularly attend meetings of the Mystic REPC, our region’s emergency management planning committee which meets in the Wakefield Public Safety building.
For a variety of reasons, these two years would unfortunately become the most difficult of our lives. We struggled with personal disability, family crises, and economic distress. We could barely pay our bills. But through it all, Wakefield has been there for us. The community we have found here has been incredibly supportive, kind, and a constant source of humor and joy. The support we’ve found here is the reason I felt ready to start the next chapter of my life and begin a graduate program for public administration at Northeastern University… and run for Town Council!
These are the life experiences and struggles so many of us contend with. In me, they have hardened my determination to give back to our community, build relationships, strengthen our neighborly ties, and to try to make a difference in people's lives. I truly believe that our system will only work for us if regular people engage with it. For some, that might simply mean voting. For others, it might mean volunteering with campaigns or engaging directly with their community. For me, it means running for office. Despite our focus being pulled further onto the federal level, local government remains the most direct, personal, and impactful branch of government on our lives. A better deal begins with local communities and local people. I want to help lead us into a better future.
