U.S. House_ Massachusetts_7th_Congressional_District

Ayanna Pressley is an advocate, a policy-maker, an activist, and a survivor. Pressley’s mother, who was a tenants’ rights organizer in Chicago, instilled in her the value of civic engagement. Pressley attended Boston University but withdrew from the University to help support her mother. She remained an activist in the community, working as a senior aide to Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II, volunteering for Senator John Kerry’s re-election campaign, and working for Kerry for 13 years in a variety of roles, including constituency director and political director. Kerry described Pressley as a “force” who “believed in public service.” In 2016, Pressley was named one of The New York Times’ 14 Young Democrats to Watch. In 2015, she earned the EMILY’s List Rising Star Award and was named one of Boston Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful People. She is also an Aspen-Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership, Class of 2012.