Bridgitte Thao, Berkeley '27

As a low-income student with a desire to serve the public, I knew that balancing my financial needs with my professional aspirations would be tough, even at a place like Yale. Luckily, my on-campus work that centers on engaging with New Haven and community organizing is funded by a fellowship. However, recent budget cuts have resulted in the reduced capacity of this program, leaving out dozens of students with the same goal. While public service does not always need a monetary reward, Yale students who aspire to become public servants should not be limited in terms of which on-campus jobs they can take due to budgetary constraints. When Yale makes cuts to programs like mine, it affects both students and New Haven residents. We need a coalition that has won before to win the city we all deserve: Norah is our coalition's choice for alder because she sees through Yale's austerity. She's got my vote.