Meeting MA State Leader Diana DiZoglio
On August 6th, a group of high school students had an incredible opportunity to go to the Massachusetts State House, and meet Auditor Diana DiZoglio. Students were not only invited on a tour, but they also had a discussion, learning Auditor DiZoglio’s story in becoming a state elected official, as well as asking questions, and speaking out on the issues that mattered to them most.
As the daughter of a single mother, Diana never thought she would one day become state auditor. Before working in the government sector, she worked in many community organizations and nonprofits. During the meeting, she emphasized the importance of young people giving back, and making a positive difference in the world, no matter if it is through donating, or volunteering to help others. Her experience working in nonprofits has helped her closely connect with a wide range of people, which motivated her to fight for more transparency from the government. She has made many contributions in improving people’s lives in Massachusetts, from transportation to housing. Furthermore, she was the first person to speak out on sexual harassment that happened to her while working in the state house, which encouraged many others sharing their experiences and led to many changes. Her story is one of resilience, leadership, selflessness, and unwavering commitment to creating a positive difference in the world.
Claire Lee, a rising 10th grader from the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and student leader from the BranchOut Boston Chapter represented the program at the State House along with Michelle Ma a rising 9th grader Wayland High School, Oliver Chi a rising 10th grader Newton North High School, James Hsu a rising 8th grader at Pike School, and Renee Lu a rising 12th grader at Newton South High School.
Claire and Oliver asked questions about issues facing the state and how young people or high schoolers can make an impact. Auditor DiZoglio explained how she has had previous audits addressing the issues of rising costs of housing, discrimination, sustainable and safe transportation, and equitable opportunities, and is working on projects addressing many other issues. Michelle was interested in understanding the difficulties she has faced as a leader. Finally, Renee asked about internship opportunities, and Auditor DiZoglio talked about how there have been slowly more programs being offered for high school students.
Here are some of the reflections of what the team has learned, and what has inspired them the most about meeting Diana:
“Meeting the state auditor, Diana DiZoglio, was an amazing experience. Listening to her story, learning how she didn't exactly come from the ideal family, then hearing how she overcame the challenges that came her way was really inspiring. It took immense bravery on Diana's part in order to step up and report the sexual abuse that she experienced, even though she knew that others could possibly criticize or demean her for speaking up. Diana took that huge risk, not just for herself, but for other women like her that also had experienced such horrid behavior. At that point, I felt a sense of respect, not just for all the hard work that Auditor DiZoglio did to earn her title, but also for her as a woman, who is incredibly selfless and will confidently take other's burdens as her own and fight for what she believes is right.” - Michelle Ma
“Meeting the MA State Auditor, Diana DiZoglio, was an insightful experience. I got to learn about the pressing issues that the state is currently facing, like housing and healthcare issues, and how she is working to address those issues. Furthermore, her journey to becoming the state auditor was very inspiring, because she was able to break down gender barriers and she always spoke up for herself.” - Renee Lu
Students enjoyed meeting Auditor DiZoglio, and learning more about upcoming projects, as well as advice on making a difference in their communities as future leaders. It was wonderful to see the beautiful architecture, and rich history of the state house through a tour. BranchOut! aims for students to step out of their comfort zone, and help them develop their confidence no matter the environment, inspiring them to become future leaders of our world.
