Meeting Washington lawmakers underlined what’s at stake in elections | Opinion

My name is Sofia Estudillo, and I am a senior at Bellarmine Preparatory School.

Politicians have always played a major role in my life as from a young age I can recount waking up in the morning to help elect my father as a judge for the Grant County Superior Court before he eventually got nominated for the position he’s in today as a District Court Judge for the Western District of Washington.

When talking to my father, I am always reminded of how humble beginnings can get you anywhere. Despite being an immigrant from Mexico and coming to the US as illiterate, my grandfather was still able to keep a stable job and even buy a house.

It’s due to these conversations that I myself hold my own interest in national politics, immigration rights and other issues.

Preparing to meet Rep. Michelle Caldier, I’ll admit I was quite nervous. I imagined an uneasy environment, meeting a woman who was only interested in talking to boost her campaign. Instead, I was surprised to see that she was eager to hear the questions of curious teens. She was adamant about placing the right people into positions of power.

She spoke about how often in the house there could be a lot of coercion and punishment for people who wish to go against their party’s outline to do what they see is right.

Adamantly, Caldier stated, “If you’re afraid you shouldn’t be there.” She wants instead for more legislators to be “for the people.”

Later in the night I got the chance to ask Caldier about our present day immigration crisis. As Washington is a sanctuary, I wondered what was being done to support the families of individuals taken by ICE. Unfortunately I was told that not much could be done at the state level as immigration is a federal issue.

However, she did cite where she saw the origins of our issue stemming from, stating, “We allowed undocumented immigrants to be here because we needed a less expensive work force.”

Despite not receiving the answers I was looking for, I did walk out with new knowledge. I learned about the need for financial transparency when the state funds programs, and the need to know where the money lands. After talking to Caldier, it’s clear to see that she is not only a woman who stands for the people, but an individual who deeply wants to support our community.

Sitting down with Sen. Deb Krishnadasan I was able to tell she was very knowledgeable about all the issues she sees as key to our area.

Since being appointed to office, Krishnadasan has constantly pushed for a bill, SB5186, to change the threshold of passing a school bond to be a simple majority instead of a supermajority. Krishnadasan stated, “I’m just asking for it to be fair.”

Often bonds do not pass due to the 40% minority of a community holding a district back, causing many districts to have never passed a school bond. Krishnadasan has also seen how the classrooms of today are often outdated and overcrowded.

She said that in today’s age, there is often a “big push for academics,” but this often can leave many less driven students behind. Krishnadasan’s solution for this has been to extend funding to career and technical education (CTE).

“CTE opens doors for high school students to gain real-world skills, explore career pathways, and graduate prepared for both college and the workforce,” she said.

One such center is West Sound Technical in Bremerton, which teaches trades to up to one thousand students and even connects them to jobs at the Bremerton shipyard.

When talking to Krishnadasan, it was obvious that she was deeply interested in hearing the issues of everyone.

Krishnadasan not only asked me what I thought was important, but she made sure to ask these same questions to every citizen whose doorbell she rang. When seeing neighbors in need after their garage burnt down in a fire, she asked to be of assistance, and when speaking with teachers she drew from her past on the school board. In short, if you’re looking for a person to hear your own personal issues, connect you with any legislative help, and fund education for the future, Krishnadasan is the woman for you.

By getting to meet these state congresswomen, I hope to be an unbiased voice that not only adds to what readers already know about their politicians, but also encourages more people to vote in their local elections, ensuring that all voices are heard and represented.

This is one in a series of five op-eds submitted by students of private teacher Mimmi Beck, who interviewed local politicians.