Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in Rolla, Missouri--a somewhat small town with a population of 18,000 when I graduated high school. The biggest influence of growing up in Rolla was being enrolled in the public school system. When I was in sixth grade, we learned all about the 1996 Presidential election--the candidates, the issues, how voting works. I was enthralled by the entire process, and that was what sparked my interest in politics and government.
When did you first start writing?
I wrote all through high school and college, much of which was feeble attempts and writing fiction. Eventually, I discovered that my strength lied in nonfiction writing. I was able to hone this strength while working on my Master of Arts in Political Science. It was during this time that I wrote my essays "To Divide and Not Conquer: Preventing Partisan Gerrymandering with Independent Nonpartisan Commissions" and "Transgender Marriage Rights in Texas."
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