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Grace Harman '09 Deputy Chief of Staff and NY Press Secretary for Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney 3 6 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n WINTER 2 0 1 6 – 2 0 1 7 Currently I hold the position of Deputy Chief of Staff and New York Press Secretary for Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney. I have been with the Congresswoman for about three years, and in that time have had three different titles. I started with her office a few months after graduating from college, when I moved to Washington, D.C. to take a job as her staff assistant. In the summer of 2014, I came home to New York and was her campaign manager in her successful re-election campaign. Now, I work in our district office just a few blocks from Trevor's new Middle and Upper School campus. I came to Trevor in 9th grade, later than many of my classmates. Although I was a student here for only four years, those four years helped shape my life in ways I never could have imagined. It might sound clichéd, but without my time at Trevor, I know I would not be where I am today. ose years weren't always easy. But when I reflect on them now, I don't focus on struggles with homework or disagreements with classmates. Instead, I think about the skills that I learned and the passions that blossomed, and how they helped me navigate through life to where I am now. I graduated from Skidmore College with a double major in English and International Affairs, and a minor in Government. I chose International Affairs and Government to make me employable, but pursued English because I enjoyed the work. So, I find it amusing that it's my English major that led to my current position as press secretary. When I first transferred from our campaign to our district office, the plan had been for me to do constituent work. Instead, just a few hours into my first day, our press secretary resigned. e congresswoman pulled me into her office and said, "You were an English major in college, right? So, you must know how to write. I'm going to train you to be my press secretary." It's been two years now, and I couldn't have picked a more perfect job. I have no qualms about saying that if it weren't for Trevor—specifically Jason Tarbath—I wouldn't have this job. Without Mr. Tarbath's guidance, it never would have occurred to me to be an English major. When I came to Trevor, I already loved to read anything I could get my hands on, but the academic side of literature had never appealed to me, and personal writing wasn't something that I had explored. at all changed with Mr. Tarbath. I was lucky enough to have him for three out of my four years at Trevor. He taught me to love reading, not just for the story, but for the beauty of language and the depth that can exist between lines of text. He taught me that I could use the written word to express my unique perspective on life, and that my perspective was valid. From our very first class (my first day at Trevor), Mr. Tarbath never made me feel like a child; he listened to my opinions and valued my questions. He was the first person to suggest that I think about an English major in college, not because I wanted to write professionally, but because the work gave me joy, and he knew that wasn't something to ignore. It's ironic, but I don't have the words to express how much having Mr. Tarbath as a teacher helped me grow as a person. It isn't just that he set me on the path that led me to my current career. He was the first adult outside of my family with whom I felt a connection, who I felt valued me as an individual. He was never my official advisor, but he's the person I went to when I was struggling in other classes and needed reassurance, or when I was having problems with my

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