Hoping to change girls' attitudes about politics, 11 elected officials on Wednesday mingled with teenage girls during a Running and Winning political workshop.
Now in its seventh year, the workshop gathered elected officials - some current, some former and a couple who are currently running for office - and more than 40 Canyon del Oro High School students to discuss politics. The workshop was held at Canyon del Oro, 25 W. Calle Concordia.
"We want them to realize that politics applies to all of them," said Carol Dow, co-chair of the workshop.
"The gaining of power through politics is very significant for women," Dow said. "It's where we gain a voice in our community, in our state and nationally."
Wednesday's event was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson, the Casas Adobes and Tucson branches of the American Association of University Women, the Pima County/Tucson Women's Commission and female graduate students in the University of Arizona's School of Government and Public Policy.
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At the workshop, students sat down with the elected officials for question-and-answer sessions.
Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall made an impression on Canyon del Oro freshman Aniza Aguirre.
Aguirre liked that LaWall said her motivation in life and in her career is to make a difference.
"There are so many leaders here who have made a difference, and they're very important," Aguirre said. "I'm glad that they are here."
Students questioned the elected officials on their reasons for running for office, their greatest accomplishments in office and the challenges they face as elected officials.
LaWall was asked what she loved about her job.
Her response: "I just love being in charge."
LaWall was the first woman elected to the office of Pima county attorney.
Running and Winning's long-term goal is to encourage more women to run for office.
In Arizona, 28 of the 90 state legislators are women, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers in New Jersey.
The event also had the students create their own mock U.S. Senate campaigns, which included designating candidates, campaign managers, speechwriters and publicity people.
Freshman Cari Stratton couldn't say for sure if she has a future in politics, but she knows women can hold any office they want.
"If I do get into politics, this gave me a good view on what I'd be getting into," she said.
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