written by | Thomas Anderson
Hello,
I am extremely excited to be joining Students United as the new Director of Government Relations. I believe deeply in civic engagement and I know that together we can create positive change for our schools and students. I cannot wait to meet more of the Students United team, and I am looking forward to working with all of you to set our legislative priorities and to accomplish our collective goals.
I have already been learning a lot about the talented and dedicated people at Students United, so it seems appropriate that I share a little bit about myself as well. I grew up in Pine River, Minnesota, and moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota, where I earned my undergraduate degree in Political Science and Communication Studies. After working on political campaigns, I returned to the University of Minnesota and earned a Master’s Degree in Education. I have spent the last five years teaching Minnesota History, United States History, Global Studies, and Civics. In addition to teaching, I have been heavily involved in local politics, in community engagement work, and successfully managed a citywide campaign for School Board in Minneapolis.
My professional passions are education, civic engagement, equity, and social justice. When I am not working at Students United, I am volunteering for local political events, organizing community meetings around neighborhood development, and re-tweeting political commentary. My personal passions often overlap with my professional ones, but when I am not doing civic engagement work I am most often spending time with my wife, my son, and my dog. Our most common family activities are fairly low key. We like to take leisurely strolls around the neighborhood, walk to local restaurants, or hang out on our backyard patio. We also love to travel and always plan at least one big trip a year to get out of Minnesota and experience something new.
My experience with Students United is also new, but it is off to an amazing start. In my first week I was able to witness three amazing students testify in front of the Board of Trustees. Their passion, composer, and eloquence was truly inspiring to see, and I cannot wait to continue working with everyone here at Students United.