We recently asked Lisbeth to reflect on her experiences at the Mikva Challenge and the political activities she has been involved with since then, and here is what she had to share:

During my freshman year in high school a teacher of mine suggested I join the Mikva Challenge. What seemed to be an ordinary after school activity turned out to be a life changing experience for me. I am now proud to say I am an active alumna of the program. Mikva Challenge’s hands on experiences and great mentorship have provided me with a long list of success stories.

When I participated in the program eight years ago, it all took place in the well known, but no longer existing, “Hot House.” It was there where former State Senator Barack Obama motivated me to volunteer on his campaign after wowing the crowd with his motivational speech. While working in his downtown headquarters, I had the opportunity to converse with him about close to home issues such as gang violence and high school drop-out rates. Slowly my responsibilities increased—I went from stapling yard signs of Barack Obama for State Senator, to calling Jessie Jackson, Jerry Springer and Oprah’s secretaries for donations for a fundraiser at the Hyatt Hotel. I enjoyed every moment of this campaign; meeting with my fellow Mikva Challenge friends and sharing my Barack stories were always the highlights of my days. 

It was State Senator Iris Y. Martinez’s campaign where I really put my Mikva Challenge experience and skills into action— the communication and organization skills I learned at the Mikva Challenge really came in very handy. I was given the position of head volunteer coordinator which I came to realize involved long hours on the phone. However, being on the phone that long, proved to pay off well considering the amount of new friendships I gained from people of the surrounding community.

My biggest journey began with a phone call from State Senator Linda Holmes. She stated that she had heard great things about me and would love to meet me for coffee. At our meeting, I described my involvement in local politics, and she asked if I had any interest in taking up her senate race. One of the many things that the Mikva Challenge has taught me is, don’t be afraid to take on a leadership role. I didn’t hesitate to accept this challenge. Running Linda's campaign was challenging, to say the least, but having maintained my strong will for success and not having lost confidence in myself, the hardships disappeared into what can now only be described as a successful campaign.

I am very thankful for being a part of such an outstanding organization such as The Mikva Challenge. To me, Mikva Challenge became more than just another high school activity, it became the place where I felt empowered and encouraged to speak out. The Mikva Challenge not only opened many doors for me, but it also created a college student, campaign manager and most importantly a community activist. Thanks to the Mikva Challenge I have many great stories to share, some scary, some not so scary, and some great life lessons that I will always keep in mind. Mikva Challenge was truly the home I was searching for, the place that offered the tricks of the trade that helped me obtain the recognition that I strived for.

At Mikva Challenge, our mission is to train life-long civic leaders, and our alums, like Lisbeth, and students affirm our success in getting young people to become today and tomorrow's leaders.