by intern Caitlin Ouano
Photo credit: intern Isabella Gerard
“When women come together we get things done.” That’s what Senator Mazie Hirono said to thunderous applause at Running Start’s 8th Annual Women to Watch Awards held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Capitol Hill.
Running Start is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that provides young women with the skills and encouragement they need to lead in politics, continually acknowledging that there is a significant lack of women working in a field that is so influential.
The event consisted of a congressional reception with several high profile guests including honorees Bettina Inclan of the National Republican Congressional Committee for the Political Rising Star Award, Staff Sergeant Jennifer Hunt for the Role Model Award, and Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri for the Making History Award.
Miss America
When we asked Nina why she decided to get involved in the Miss America Pageant, Davuluri gave an answer that was far from vain or banal: “When I started competing in the Miss America organization, I knew it was first and foremost a scholarship organization. I was in a position where I would have to pay for most of my education. Winning helped me to graduate debt free.”
“The coolest moment after winning the crown was definitely being in the oval office meeting President Obama,” she added. Davuluri, a University of Michigan graduate and the first Miss America pageant winner of Indian descent, was a popular presence.
The Finalists
Hollywood on the Potomac also interviewed the five young women who were finalists for the Emerging Young Leader Award. This contest received three hundred nominations which the judges had to narrow down to ten, which by online votes were narrowed down to five: Brittany Amano, Sarah Clements, Donya Nasser, Madison Vorva and Angela Zhou.
Sarah Clements
“It’s such an honor to be recognized for this,” said Newtown High School senior Sarah Clements who has been working toward gun violence prevention since her mother, a teacher, survived the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012. “I think one of the biggest driving forces in our movement is the women involved,” she added. “My mom’s with me today. She’s a survivor, so we were closely affected by this shooting. Before this I really wasn’t as aware but now I know that it’s bigger than me – it’s an epidemic we are facing.”
Brittany Amano
Brittany Amano from Honolulu, Hawaii, the youngest finalist at age sixteen, was inspired at the age of twelve when she saw her grandmother recover after becoming homeless four years prior. She has started two nonprofits and has yet to finish her junior year of high school. Humble and modest, Brittany admitted, “I’m probably not going to win but I think I know who is,” and proceeded to gesture another finalist.
The reception was followed by the awards dinner with many female speakers who currently hold high public offices in the U.S government.
Susannah Welford, President and Founder of Running Start, began with an inspiring speech about increasing female involvement in the U.S government.
Susannah Welford
“I can’t believe it’s been eight years,” she said above the applause. “For the first year we trained twenty young women but now over the course of those eight years we’ve trained over seventy five hundred young women which is just astounding. Women are a new type of leadership we are not using nearly to the extent we should be.”
Kelly O’Donnell
Kelly O’Donnell, Capitol Hill correspondent for NBC News, then introduced the first honorees of the evening.
The Women of the United States Senate were awarded Running Start’s Trailblazer Award, represented by Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte and Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono who, like Amano, hails from Hawaii.
“Back in 1992, and that’s not long ago, we had a historic number of three women in the Senate,” said Ayotte, to which Maize Orono sarcastically acted shocked and surprised. “We want to be equally represented because without our voices we are not going to fully recognize our potential both of our country but also countries around the world. This program is a model for other countries.”
Senators Kelly Ayotte (left) and Mazie Hirono (right) accepting the Trailblazer Award on behalf of the twenty female members of the U.S. Senate
Hirono, the first Asian American woman Senator, added, “Organizations like Running Start make a huge difference in encouraging young women to first think about what they can do to make changes in their community, to think about and envision themselves running for office. Women need encouragement.” Hirono then ended by thanking these female congressional leaders and “all of you enlightened gentlemen in the audience.”
Wellford then introduced Jana Barresi if Walmart, one of Running Start’s oldest supporters, who presented ten young women of the Walmart Star Fellows program. The women were all bright college graduates interning for congressmen and women.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Brittany Amano
When it came time to announce the winners of the Emerging Young Leader Award, the audience stood on edge. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii was then called to the stage to proudly announce that Brittany Amano had won the award.
Amano took the stage and, as she had already done to Hollywood on the Potomac, admitted she really didn’t think she would win, being the youngest nominee. She nervously thanked everyone who had helped her, especially her mother and grandmother.
Nina Davuluri (Making History Award Winner), Bettina Inclán (Political Rising Star Award Winner) and Jennifer Hunt (Role Model Award Winner) sitting for a panel.
The night really highlighted not just the importance of having women working in such positions, but the fact that women needed more encouragement, something Running Start provides. The Awards were a fun, classy, and enjoyable event that also had a poignant truth: women are often afraid. They are afraid to make mistakes and take the microphone and give their speech. But these women weren’t. Not one bit.
