Becky Beaver is an alum of Alpha Zeta chapter at Kennesaw State University (2016-2017). She earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications and women/gender studies and is planning to apply for law school. She is currently working as chief of staff to a state representative in Georgia. Becky is an advocate for public policy on the local level and works diligently to make change happen in her community.
Check out our Q & A to learn more about Becky!
*Disclaimer: These responses are paraphrased and depict participant responses from the interview.
Q: What inspired you to join OPA?
A: I joined OPA my senior year, and I had never been a member of a sorority prior which is something I regret not doing sooner, but also, I hadn’t found a sorority that I felt like fit me until OPA. I wasn’t attracted to the more social sororities because I wanted to do something more active. When I found out OPA was completely service-oriented, that’s what really attracted me to it. Not only could I make friends before graduating, but also do some good in the meantime.
Q: Did you hold any offices during your time as an active?
A: I did not, it was the only organization I had ever been a part of where I didn’t hold a leadership position. It was nice to just kind of sit back and let others take the lead for once. That way I really got to enjoy my time in OPA, but I really admire my sisters who did step up into those roles to do the heavy lifting. However, I did get to be a Big, which I really enjoyed.
Q: What is one of your favorite memories as an active sister?
A: My favorite service project we did was when we measured rice to send in packages to those with food insecurity. It was a tactile experience, but it also brought this very real thought of like yeah we’re having fun but also the fact that we were putting together meals for people. The project went so much further than just an afternoon of getting service hours. I think it was one of the best real-world applications that I saw as far as projects we completed. It was just a really meaningful experience and one that made such an impact on those dealing with food scarcity. Some of my other favorite things I got to do with OPA were cancer-related projects such as Relay for Life and Dance-A-Thon where we got to spend a lot of time together. There’s a totally different bond you have with your sisters which makes projects like those special and more meaningful. That’s one thing I truly loved about my time in OPA.
Q: Tell me about your current job.
A: I’m currently serving my third term as chief of staff to state representative Mike Lewinski, so I work in the Georgia State House primarily. When I’m not in the statehouse I run campaigns. I actually just ran a city-wide race in Atlanta which was a ton of work! A lot of my job is figuring out the strategy and what we need to do to win based on what the community needs. I began more so in activism which led to this career in politics. Politics are so important and the decisions that lawmakers make really do impact all of us on a day-to-day basis, especially on the local level which is why I wanted to get involved in politics. Local legislatures are frequently overlooked when oftentimes it’s the local level that begins the process of big changes in politics. For me, I felt like I could really help people in my state by being part of the ground-level campaigns people tend to forget about.
Q: What is your favorite part about your job/career?
A: My favorite part of my career path is getting to see actual tangible work and seeing those I’ve helped get elected doing the things that need to be done. Just seeing that I had a hand in that is really cool. It’s great to see the impact of your work on the local level within your own community. Additionally, I’m a big public policy person so I love being able to read and decipher bills/laws to better understand the language being used within them. I enjoy giving my perspective to people who are out there doing the work to help them target what is most important.
Q: How did you choose your career path?
A: I grew up surrounded by politics, but I actually avoided it for many many years because I had seen the ugly side of it. I’m part of the minority political party in my state, so there were things like that that drove me towards my career, one being that I am a service-oriented person (partly because of OPA!). OPA helped me look at things through a service lens which was a positive thing I got from OPA. Serving members of the community as we do in OPA is still something I carry with me in my career today.
Q: What obstacles do you face in your career?
A: I think one of the obstacles is that there are always lots of different personality types in politics so you have to constantly learn how to peacefully engage with others that don’t have the same viewpoint as you. Some people are more open to hearing your perspective than others, so that can be a challenge. Another obstacle is the “red tape” we often come across where we’re not able to work on something we want to at the local level. Making change happen can take a while so that can be frustrating at times.
Q: How has your experience in OPA influenced your life and/or career?
A: My time in OPA has really impacted my career in politics. OPA made me realize that I wanted to serve which inspired me to get more involved in politics post-graduation. My sisters joined me in activism activities such as the Women’s March in 2016 which helped me stay on my toes and remain involved. I’m not sure I would have gone this route in my career had I not had such positive influences from my sisters around me in my final year of college so I’m really grateful for that. Additionally, I had lots of diverse sisters with different viewpoints than me, so it helped me learn how to work with others that were different from me. Something I took away from that is that people may vote or act differently from me, but that’s okay because they are still people and should be treated as such at the end of the day.
Q: What’s one accomplishment you’re particularly proud of?
A: For me, definitely running a campaign during a pandemic is something that I’m proud of. I was running a statehouse race which had a much smaller budget and group of voters, but of course, it wasn’t safe to knock on doors due to COVID. Being able to get creative and improve the win margin by 5% was a huge accomplishment and something that I was very proud of. Some of my other accomplishments politically speaking are getting some good bills passed such as the Hate Crimes bill which was huge.
Q: What advice can you offer to your fellow sisters?
A: My biggest piece of advice I can offer to sisters is just to go for it. You’re always better off going in and putting yourself out there rather than not trying at all. If there’s something that you believe in then stand up for it even if you don’t think others will agree with you. Don’t sit idly by!
Q: Tell me about your personal life. Family, pets, hobbies, interests?
A: I think the pandemic actually helped me develop more hobbies. I love classic films so I’m currently trying to go through the American Film Institute’s 100 greatest movies of all time. I’m really into art as well, so when I get to travel for my job I like to visit the local art museums because they’re always an enriching experience. Travel is a big part of my life even outside of work. I think as human beings the best way we can get perspectives of the world is by traveling and experiencing new things. I also have a lot of great friends that are super supportive which is great.
Q: What does the future look like?
A: I’m currently studying for the LSAT in the hopes of entering law school next year. I think even though that side of politics is messy, we need good lawyers and I want to be one of them. I think no matter where my path in life goes, I think campaigning and social issues will always be part of my life because it’s one of the main ways to help others and make change happen.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share about yourself?
A: As I said, it’s always worth standing up for something that you believe in. It doesn’t always have to be a huge gesture for you to be involved and I think that’s one thing a lot of people miss. Never let other people intimidate you out of doing what you believe in! I’m also a firm believer that we need more women at the table in politics and to run for office. Anyone can be in politics no matter their experience so don’t count yourself out!