The weekend before my first day at Empower Missouri, I went to a three-year-old\u2019s birthday party. It was one of those heavy, hot July days in the Midwest\u2014the kind where the air feels so thick you could cut it with a butter knife. (My fellow Missourians, you know the kind!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The highlight of the afternoon? A brightly colored llama pi\u00f1ata swinging from a tree. I found a shady spot and watched as the kids lined up, bat in hand, ready for glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first swing landed with a loud thunk!<\/em> I instantly knew: this was no easy pi\u00f1ata.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One by one, each child took a turn. No luck. When it was my toddler\u2019s turn, he took a shaky (albeit brave) swing. The bat barely tapped the pi\u00f1ata, but it didn\u2019t matter\u2014he was in it with the rest of them. After a few rounds, the kids began strategizing. Where was the weak spot? What was the best technique? When targeting the shoulder didn\u2019t work, they tried rapid-fire swings. Still nothing. Eventually, they all agreed who their \u201cheavy hitter\u201d was, and when he took a big swing… he broke the bat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s when it hit me (pun intended): this is what policy work is like.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The kids want the candy. We want policy change. It\u2019s not about a single swing or quick fix. It takes strategy, communication, determination, and above all, the power of a community working toward a common goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, after countless swings, broken bats, and a whole lot of cheering, the kids couldn\u2019t take it anymore. They ditched the bat and tore into the pi\u00f1ata with their bare hands. It was hilarious and wildly effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But as satisfying as it was to see the candy finally fly, I also thought: this is where the pi\u00f1ata metaphor ends.<\/em> Because when it comes to public policy, it\u2019s not about tearing things down in frustration. It\u2019s about building together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, as I take my own shaky (albeit brave) swing in the policy space, I\u2019m looking forward to joining a community of advocates who have been doing this work for a long time. I\u2019ve spent the last five years in the nonprofit world, and before that, I was a teacher working with kids facing tough realities like hunger and housing instability. That work lit a fire in me, fueled by the belief that we can do better. Whether you’re a donor, legislator, advocate, fellow Missourian, or community member, we\u2019re in this together and I\u2019m so glad you\u2019re here. I plan to lead from my seat\u2014and I hope you will, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because just like that pi\u00f1ata, policy doesn\u2019t crack after just one swing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It takes all of us.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The weekend before my first day at Empower Missouri, I went to a three-year-old\u2019s birthday party. It was one of those heavy, hot July days in the Midwest\u2014the kind where the air feels so thick you could cut it with a butter knife. (My fellow Missourians, you know the kind!) The highlight of the afternoon? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":13254,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[94,712,43],"tags":[709,651,525,456],"issues":[666],"coauthors":[735],"class_list":["post-13251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-post","category-staff-update","category-weekly-perspective","tag-development","tag-new-staff","tag-staff","tag-staff-update","issues-empower-mo"],"yoast_head":"\n