After meeting Kamala Harris, Krista finds her own voice

Fourteen-year-old Krista Morrell was nervous about attending her first political event. She and her mom had been invited by attorney Dan Barr to attend an Arizona Democratic Party fundraiser in 2018.

The featured speaker was California Sen. Kamala Harris.

Barr knew Krista was interested in politics. She admired Harris because she advocated for equality, women and health care.

When Harris came in, shaking hands, posing for pictures, Barr said to Krista, “Let’s go meet Kamala.”

Krista expected Harris to say hello and move on. But Harris stopped and asked Krista about her concerns.

Krista told Harris she was upset that migrant children were separated from their parents and housed in cages. She also was worried about school shootings.

Harris asked about school and what she did outside classes.

Krista danced at Ballet Arizona and spent the summer at the Julliard School in New York. She volunteered at Teen Lifeline.

Harris asked what she wanted to do for a career. Maybe work as a psychologist, Krista said.

If she put her mind to it, she could do anything, Harris said. Don’t let anyone say differently.

Harris spoke to Krista for 15 minutes as adults, many of them donors, hovered.

“It was like I was the only person in the room,” Krista said.

Now 16, she’s torn between being a psychologist and an immigration lawyer.

She wants to run for office someday because she believes elected officials can right what’s wrong.

Krista speaks Spanish and, before travel was shut down, had planned to volunteer with a humanitarian group in Mexico.

Instead, she’s volunteering for a campaign, making calls for Senate hopeful Mark Kelly and reminding people to vote.

“I’m trying to make sure everyone gets heard,” Krista said.

Harris heard her and it made all the difference.