By Caitlin Antonios
During election season, it’s common to see Scripps students sitting behind tables to engage their peers and aid them in getting registered to vote. Their efforts were so significant this past election cycle that the College received the top spot for the 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting, but students aren’t just engaged when they’re on campus.
Scripps has a record of producing alums who have made a career of engaging with politics and civil service: former California Senator and Assemblymember Hannah-Beth Jackson ’71, former US Congresswoman Gabby Giffords ’93, and newly re-elected Washington House of Representatives member Emily Alvarado ’03.
“I believe in the power of government—through our laws and investments—to improve peoples’ lives,” Alvarado says.
First elected in November 2022, Alvarado has been using her expertise from working in the public and nonprofit sectors to improve access to childcare, bolster public education, increase affordable housing, and provide families with greater economic stability. After graduating from Scripps, she received her JD from the University of Washington School of Law and went on to work for the Housing Development Consortium of Seattle–King County, and later became the director of the Seattle Office of Housing. In addition to her legislative role, she works at the nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners.
The foundations of her interest in building community, leadership, and a better future for all stems from her time as an American studies major at Scripps.
“Scripps taught me about leadership and how to engage in critical thinking—how to talk about complex ideas with people who disagree, back up your position, and be comfortable revisiting your position on issues,” Alvarado says.
Now in her second term of civic service, Alvarado has learned that the secret to getting things done is collaboration—strengths she first built as a Scripps student through class projects and intimate class settings.
“When you look at places like the Washington State Legislature, it’s about relationships and working together to advance a common cause. Scripps teaches you those relational skills,” Alvarado says.
In light of the recent presidential election, many people around the country have questioned what the path forward looks like. Alvarado belongs to a majority female Democratic caucus in the House and both senators representing Washington are women. She feels lucky to be part of a strong history of women leaders in Washington—but notes that on a national scale, it’s important that women continue to speak up.
“We need to make sure we don’t allow behavior that demeans women or rolls us back on our path towards equality and justice. On a policy level, it’s going to take all of us continuing to fight,” she says.
The realities of policy change and legislature mean changes take time, but an interdisciplinary approach is how Alvarado sees the future.
“Find a passion, find a skill, build relationships,” Alvarado advises. “When the world gets hard, doing things that you believe in is so important.”