You hear Emma Salas before you meet her. She always jokes, “My natural voice is a yell!” This is pretty true, but she uses her voice in a way which no one can complain about. Emma uses her voice to uplift others, to make people laugh and to provide them with comfort. She is probably one of the best humans I know, though she would say I am dumb or something of the sort for saying so.
I laugh the hardest when Emma is around. She can be a bit of a goofball when the situation calls for it, though sometimes she rolls her eyes at my puns (rest assured, I know she enjoys them). We often laugh when exasperated with our other friends, though sometimes one of us will join forces with a different pal in order to gang up on the other–it’s healthy, I promise.
Not only is Emma funny, but she is so dedicated in all of her actions. She does well in school and made it on the Dean’s List for the fall semester, which prompted her mom to exclaim that she can get a job if she falls off of it and is the backbone of the George Mason Democrats, where she works as the Chief of Staff.
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Emma was an intern in fall 2018 for GMU Dems. As this was during the midterms, she knocked an astronomical amount of doors in order to get Democratic candidates elected, particularly Alexandria City Council candidate Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, who is now the sitting Vice Mayor. In Alexandria, the city council candidate with the most votes becomes vice mayor. “My proudest moment was working with Elizabeth Bennett-Parker,” Emma said of her time working on the campaign. “I love her–what a gal.”
Now, as the Chief of Staff of the organization, Emma has organized so much and completed so many tasks in order to make the organization better. Without her, it is no doubt that GMU Dems would not be complete.
Emma is originally from Fort Collins, Colorado or, as she refers to it, “the land of marijuana and mountains.” As someone who is also not from Virginia, we have bonded about how weird this state, (that’s right, state, not commonwealth!), can truly be. She also loves her family deeply, and this carries over to her friendships as well.
Essentially, Emma Salas knows what being a strong, smart, empowered woman is all about. She has so many great qualities that are hard to miss. After Mason, it’s hard to say exactly what Emma will do next, as there is so much she has to offer. “I think I want to continue championing progressive values, whether that be electing Democrats or working with the environmental lobby in some capacity.”
She is a capital E-extrovert, is the sweetest human you’ll ever meet, is good at crocheting (as of late, she can be seen with a crochet needle and yarn in her hands) and takes no shit. That being said, she certainly doesn’t mind giving it. “You’re actually going to quote me on this?” Emma exclaimed when we sat down to talk about her life. “Oh my God.”