Lessons From a First Time Lobbyist

By Erin Hiemstra

Walking into a powerful senator's office for the first time can make your stomach flip and your palms sweat. Stepping through the door as a representative of AAUW's Lobby Corps eases that nervousness by providing you with training, experience, and a highly respected reputation.

For as long as I can remember, injustice, double standards, and discrimination have outraged me. As I grew older, I realized there are ways to turn my frustration into action - and one of the most rewarding outlets I have found is lobbying. AAUW provides students in the D.C. area with a unique opportunity to be heard. Being a student lobbyist for AAUW’s Lobby Corps is invaluable for a fledgling activist.

People often feel distanced from the process of government, but lobbying allows you to participate in a personal way while simultaneously giving you tools to be an effective advocate in other arenas. The Lobby Corps gives you a forum to interact with other students, meet women who have been long-time volunteer activists, and support issues you care about through direct interaction with lawmakers.

I walked into my first Lobby Corps training session feeling slightly intimidated and inexperienced. After reviewing the basics of the legislative process, the Lobby Corps volunteers - all AAUW members - taught us numerous lobbying strategies, such as the importance of doing research to target your message; the value of having one or two good facts about your issue committed to memory; and how to convey a short, succinct, and interesting message in just a couple of sentences. (You never know if you will be given five minutes or 20 to get your ideas across.) By the end of my first afternoon of training I felt confident that I could walk in to a legislator's office, sit down with an aide, and effectively pass on our message - and I realized that lobbying is not an impossible skill to master.

It helped to know that if I forgot any of those lessons, I did not have to panic. A seasoned Lobby Corp member supports her student counterpart at every point along the way.

The skills that the Lobby Corps provides can also be taken back to your campus and applied in other areas of your life. Some valuable skills include constructing a persuasive argument, improving public speaking, interacting with policy-makers, and understanding the political process. Lobbying also instills you with greater confidence, an increased awareness of the issues, and a desire to become more involved.

You do not have to live in Washington, D.C., or in a formal lobbying group to be an advocate for issues you care about. Making people aware of your opinion - be they your friends, family, dean of students, local representative, or state senator - is a big step toward enacting change.

Tips on Successful Advocacy

• Know your facts: Express them accurately and positively.
• Know your opposition: Analyze the opposing position and find its weak point.
• Plan, coordinate and follow up: Consider how to approach decision makers on your campus, keep careful notes of any interactions, and thank those who help you.
• Find strength in numbers: Work in coalition, collaborate with others who agree with your position, and coordinate your efforts - even if they differ on other issues.
• Don't give up! Believe in yourself, your group, and your issue.