Colin Powell School
Valuing Non-Traditional Paths: Kelsie O’Leary Brings a Passion for Education from the Classroom to Political Campaigns
Kelsie O’Leary is currently the mobilization director at Brad Hoylman for Borough President, one of several campaign jobs she has dedicated herself to while taking a gap year before finishing her degree in Political Science at the Colin Powell School. With a passion for education, Kelsie is interested in working to elect people who she can trust to prioritize education and work to address inequity in our public schools. This mission has driven Kelsie to work full-time for two campaigns in the last year. She discusses her efforts and how the Colin Powell School’s internship program in Washington, DC helped her land her first policy job. Read the profile.
Please tell me a little about your background.
I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, where I attended Columbus City Schools (CCS) my entire life. School was extremely formative for me. In my district, 80% of students qualify for free lunch, and my high school was the most diverse in the state of Ohio with over 40 different nationalities. Not only do I appreciate the cultural perspective and understanding I gained from growing up there, but I recognized inequity very early on, especially inequity in education.
With this experience, I decided to take a gap year after high school and serve with an AmeriCorps program. I moved to Los Angeles, California to work for City Year, an education nonprofit that partners with schools to support students academically, socially, and emotionally. During my first year, I worked with seventh-grade students in English and math. City Year aims to bridge the gap between students' needs and the services that schools can provide — a gap I understood well from attending a City Year school district — and I felt they truly accomplished it. The mentorship and academic intervention provided by City Year corps members made a difference for a lot of our students. I loved the work so much that I decided to take a second gap year to stay in Los Angeles. The students I worked with as seventh graders are graduating high school this spring, and I’m so excited to attend their graduations (even if they’re over Zoom).
What brought you to City College?
After Los Angeles, I wanted to live in a new city and ended up at a private university in NYC. I didn’t know a lot about the college application process because my parents didn’t attend traditional four-year schools, so I chose a school I thought had provided the best financial aid. I didn’t tour the school beforehand and didn’t know what to expect from a private school in New York, so for many reasons it was a tough adjustment. When I got to campus, I was struck immediately by the gate that surrounded the entire school, forming a clear divide between the majority white and wealthy university and the surrounding community. That was something I couldn’t reconcile during my time there, so when financial constraints forced me to look for other options, I was ready to leave. That’s when I came across City College, and I’m so grateful I did.
City College felt like home the first time I set foot on campus. I remember my tour guide was an English and Political Science double-major, which felt like a good omen because those were my majors at the time. The campus was beautiful, and it was clear the student body was diverse and real — students who actually had to work while taking classes, who had passions outside of campus, and had experienced more of the real world. My experience at City College thus far has only reinforced the positive impression I had from the beginning.
What are you passionate about, and how does that drive what you do?
Education has always been at the core of what I do. As much as I love working with kids, I want to work on reform at a higher level. I realized in L.A. that one way to do this is through policy and legislation, which is why I’m studying Political Science. My long-term goal is to work in a political office or for a policy organization that focuses on education reform. Right now, I’m working to elect people who I trust will prioritize education and work to address inequity in our public schools.
This past year, I found the perfect intersection of my passion for public education and interest in politics on a congressional campaign in New York. In early 2020, I started volunteering for Jamaal Bowman. I initially got involved because of Jamal’s background as a public school principal and quickly found myself taking a lead role on a campaign driven by everyday people. As someone passionate about equitable education policy, having real world educators in Congress is a perspective that I believe is crucial, and I could not be prouder of what our team accomplished. My experience on his campaign led to me having two full-time campaign jobs since, and I plan to finish my degree after this year’s primary election. I know my classes at City College will continue my enthusiasm for politics and inform my future work.
How has the Colin Powell School helped you on your career path?
CCNY and the Colin Powell School have been immensely helpful in pursuing my goals! In only my second semester at City, I participated in the Semester in DC program and interned on Capitol Hill with my Democratic senator from Ohio. This was my very first opportunity to work a legislative job and get policy experience, which had been difficult to find before. My job prior to the DC internship was working for a family in the Village doing laundry and making dinner, so I didn’t expect to get a policy-related job so soon, let alone work on Capitol Hill. The program not only helped me get my foot in the door of the political world, but I had an awesome experience living in DC and getting to know my classmates from City College.
Overall, the Colin Powell School has made me feel at home at City College. The administrative staff, fellowship directors, and professors have all supported my personal and professional goals, and helped me make the most of my experience here. I really appreciate their mentorship and guidance.
Would you like to share a significant memory from your time at CCNY?
My whole experience in the Semester in DC Program was memorable. I attended the first impeachment trial on only the third day of my internship and got to work on COVID relief policies for the first stimulus bill. Through our classes I got to meet extremely impressive political people, several of whom are now Biden Cabinet appointees, and Colin Powell himself!
What advice do you have for future students?
First, I would tell students not to restrict themselves to the traditional college path. That’s one of the reasons City College is great. There are so many non-traditional students, like parents, veterans, and people older than 22 continuing their education. I took two gap years before college, and now I’m taking a third before my last year of school to work on campaigns. I think nontraditional paths are really valuable, and the experience equips you to be a better student. Whether someone takes time off to work, serve, or for a personal reason, they return to classes with a new perspective and often more commitment to their education. Especially right now, it’s okay if you don’t graduate on time or need to take a break from classes.
Second, take advantage of the Colin Powell School opportunities and staff. If you’re even considering the DC program, apply! If you can, talk to Colin Powell staff like Dean Rich, Debbie Cheng, Akasha Solis and others - they’re all extremely kind and helpful. I wouldn’t have the experiences I did without them!