HHS grad shares Beltway insider insights

As the chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California, Marie Baldassarre traces her career path to her Hastings roots.

“I remember protests at the VFW [Veterans of Foreign Wars building], and I remember all my neighbors talking about politics,” the 2012 Hastings High School graduate said. “My dad was always involved in all of the local races, just knocking doors and canvassing and volunteering. My mom actually worked in maternal healthcare… I think all of those forces sort of subtly moved me in the direction of politics.”

One of her earliest forays into activism was when she canvassed for Barack Obama before he won the 2008 presidential election.