In November 2013, we spoke with Sarah Pesi as she was getting ready for her anti-stalking bill to go to vote in the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee. On March 21, 2014, her bill was signed into law. We caught up with this inspirational first-year student to find out more about her past five years drafting and advocating for the bill. If you’re interested in making a policy change, she’s got advice for you!
Can you tell us more about what it took to get your bill signed into law?
It took a lot of hard work and dedication of many different people. A lot of people reached out to their legislators to encourage them to sign-on. The Women and Girls Foundation played an important role in making this happen, offering me the support and advocacy skills I needed to make it happen while still allowing me to take the lead. It took a lot of coalition building, networking, and meetings with legislators, working with leadership, media outreach, and trips to Harrisburg. The support I have received has been essential, and I couldn’t have done it without all the people who got involved.
What was the most challenging part of the process? How did you overcome it?
The most challenging part of the process was probably setbacks, getting it done, and being taken seriously. The Women and Girls Foundation was essential in teaching me the advocacy skills and being my biggest advocates. They also offered a lot of emotional support. I took setbacks really hard because I not only felt like I was letting myself down (which I could live with), but I felt like I was letting others down (which was a lot harder to deal with).
Where were you when it was signed into law? What was that moment like?
I found out online when the bill was signed. It was signed on a Friday and [I] found out that Monday. I was really happy, but it felt really surreal. I’m still wondering what the next step is, because there has always been a next step. I am really happy that it is going to be helping other people though.
What happens next?
The bill goes into effect 180 day after passage, which would fall on Constitution Day September 17th. Also, I have plans to continue my community involvement and work to further strengthen stalking statutes because there is still plenty of room for improvement.
For those who aren’t familiar with your story, can you tell us what prompted you to write the bill?
I had a personal experience between the ages of 12-16 in which I was being stalked/ harassed by an adult male. I found I couldn’t qualify for a restraining order and decided to remedy this inequity.
Before you started working on your bill, did you have any interest in politics or law?
Yes. Before I started working on my bill, I was very interested in politics and civics.
What are you studying at Chatham, and how did you choose it?
I am studying public policy with minors in social services administration, economics, and possibly philosophy. I got an interest in public policy through my work with my bill. I got interested in social services administration through my work with the Women and Girls Foundation. I like working for nonprofits and on social issues on a macro-level. I got interested in economics after taking micro and macro my first semester. I really liked them. It’s nice to have an understanding of economic issues because a lot of the time when you are trying to pass social policies, economic arguments are often used as cons. So it is important to have an understanding for developing policies as well as combatting those arguments. Philosophy interests me because it teaches you to make solid arguments and point out fallacies in other arguments.
Why did you choose Chatham?
I chose Chatham University because of scholarship, the small liberal arts feel, the free opportunities it offers to all students despite SES, investments in their students, location, the collaborative accelerated programs (particularly with CMU), their emphasis on women, global [understanding], and [sustainability and the environment], the family feel of the campus, and PA Center for Women & Politics.
Right now, what is your dream job? Can you see yourself doing more in law/government?
Right now my dream job is something in public service and most likely dealing with policy. I am keeping my options open exploring many different interests in college. I can definitely see myself running for political office in the future and possibly going to law school. I am really interested in constitutional, administrative, and public interest law. I also enjoy social justice, nonprofit work, government work, law, and public policy.
What advice do you have for students who want to draft a bill of their own?
The advice I have for students who want to draft a bill is to do extensive research on the issues, get opinions of others who are effected by the policy, get many different interest groups on your side, look at other state laws, make an info sheet which is visually appealing, strategically pick a sponsor, and be really passionate about the issue. Draft any kind of policy using the relevant format. So for school policies, you would look at your school’s format, and for PA policy you would use the PA legislative format or another proposal format which the LRB could easily put into line and number format. I am planning on hosting advocacy and bill-writing workshops in the future, so stay tuned.
You’ve spent a lot of time in Harrisburg. What advice do you have for students who hope to talk to a politician about an issue they care about?
Politicians are very open on talking to their constituents and learning about their opinions, so don’t hesitate to reach out to them. I would say be armed with facts and personal stories on how the issue or policy can effect people within their district. They are just people.
Outside of academics, what have you been up to while at Chatham?
I’ve been very busy with academics, work, and bill-related activities. I have participated in some community service outside of Chatham as well as various Chatham activities. I plan this summer to begin writing a book as well as developing advocacy and bill-writing workshops for outreach in the community.
We often hear about national issues, but do you think college students are paying enough attention to state politics? Why?
Yeah, I think college students and young people are very involved in politics in all areas. Many young people are serving positions or as representatives in local politics throughout the state, and many helped to get my bill passed. Also, when the Governor has made higher education cuts, he has seen the wrath of college students going to the Capitol to advocate against and protest the cuts. In addition, many young people work on political campaigns and work/volunteer for nonprofits which address political issues at national, state, and local levels. I think young people pay great attention to politics, but I think as with all age groups that there is room for improvement as with everything in life.
For more on Sarah’s story, check out this video by Chatham filmmaker Sara Hussain!