My initial goal with every interview is to fix one problem: make politics feel less distant to teens. As a teenager, watching constant debates unfold online and raging discussions about things that don't always apply to us can sometimes feel obsolete, and meaningless, leading many of us to wonder why we should even care if nobody in power cares about our concerns.

This same question has shaped my perspective in politics. What started as curiosity often turned into frustration, not just for me, but many young people alike who feel disconnected from decisions that will ultimately define our future.

Which is why through our work with the TeenView Exclusive, I want to change that perspective.

Last month, we had the opportunity to sit down with a congressional candidate whose story and message stood out in a different way to me. After every interview, I am left inspired, motivated and hopeful. But what especially stood out to me was that from the beginning of our conversation, Congressional Candidate Dr Candice Duvieilh began asking us questions, about our perspective, our experience, and what we looked for and hoped our candidates represent us as. That willingness to listen, and take on the challenges faced by teens is what the TeenView is all about, and that made the conversation especially meaningful and reminded me of what true leadership and passion is all about.

Unlike many traditional paths into Politics, Dr Duvieilh's journey began with a simple moment of discovering a passion for government in a casual U.S. history class. From there, that interest has now grown into a lifelong commitment of public service, where she pursued a career and degree in public administration and service, and eventually working as both an educator and a government accounting expert. Her campaign ran on this same experience, bringing her experience in the governmental and educational systems that she has worked in, and now directly impacts people's lives.

To start off, one of the first questions I always ask stems from a simple why. Why are you running for office? Understanding the why can often make or break your trust in what a candidate is truly running for. But her response felt even more genuine and hit close to home. As a mother, she described looking at the world through the lens of her child, her daughter, and realizing that many of the decisions being made today were not setting the next generations up for success. She further implied that this realization grew, which led her to eventually want to run for politics. This perspective isn't rooted in pleasing wealthy donors, PACS, or political insiders, but rather in understanding the concerns and struggles of everyday families and even teens like us who will inherit the future.

As we discussed our homes, and the rise of our very own District 5, she emphasized how much affordability truly matters. Especially now with inflation at all time highs, groceries, gas and other basic needs are skyrocketing. Her focus remained on how policy that she can influence will truly have the impact to change this. What stood out wasn't just the issues that we all acknowledge, but how she consistently tied them back to real people and education.

Education, in particular, became something that was a major point of discussion. We acknowledged how often Alabama is left behind, often ranking near the last couple of states when it comes to average ACT and GPA ratings. She emphasized while members of congress might not always have direct influence in this, accountability must start from the top. She emphasized the need that leadership must start from congress to the department of education, and emphasize an increased need for accountability to make sure funding and resources are allocated for education that actually reaches students and classes.

Even after education however, my favorite part of the conversation remained when we discussed young people leaving Alabama after graduation. As someone preparing for college myself, this question is extremely personal. Why do so many students feel the need to leave? And more importantly, what can we offer to make the stay?

Instead of painting false realities and unrealistic expectations, she acknowledged that there is no single solution. She emphasized that we cannot put a bandaid fix on such a blaring issue, an increase in responsibility and funding must come in jobs, quality of life, affordability, and access to healthcare for all, emphasizing the need for longer term programs than short term fixes

The thing that really resonated with me though, about our conversation, was when we touched on divisive rhetoric and the extremely damaging way that our political conversation has gone. Her point: protecting our communities begins with individuals. It requires speaking up, defending our neighbors and refusing to make hate normal, and even though she agrees policies will be part of the solution, she said cultural change has to begin on the community level with the will of the people to do the right thing, especially when it’s uncomfortable.

But above everything else from our time together, there was one clear idea: involvement is crucial.

"Especially for you guys", she urged regarding young people, "your eyes should be open, your voices heard, and your thoughts always on the world around you". Because change doesn't happen by itself, it starts when we refuse to just let things happen.

Walking away from our time together, I felt a feeling I've only experienced once or twice during the current political atmosphere: a feeling of clarity.

Not an answer in particular, necessarily, but the clarity that politics can actually be related to the lives people lead. They can be the result of real discussions, involve actual human beings and be guided by individuals who listen.

And for teens like me, that can make a huge difference.

It's a message that our voices and our questions don't actually matter at all, but that the conversation happening will definitely impact the lives that we lead.

At The TeenView Exclusive, we promise to make a place for that conversation to take place.

https://www.candiceduvieilhforcongress.com/