Author: forwardmontana

Pronouns: She/her/hers
Location: Storrs, CT but originally Bozeman, MT
Occupation: PhD student and teaching assistant at the University of Connecticut in the department of economics

What are the key issues that you Give A Shit about?

I give a shit about the vast wealth inequality in America and about how it affects people’s access to healthcare, education, wealth building, and a variety of other things I consider to be rights and necessities for humans.

How would you describe your personal mission?

My personal mission is to do as much good as I can in any position I enter in my lifetime. Currently, this looks like using my knowledge of economics to inform people about inequality and help create an equitable society.

Tell me about your “power outfit” — the outfit that makes you feel most badass.

My power outfit would be any sort of suit. Can’t feel bad in a suit!

How did you learn about Forward Montana?

I learned about FMT when I lived in Missoula and went to school there. I first encountered them on campus and realized that they fundamentally supported everything that I did—people’s access to healthcare, to voting rights, to education, to purpose.

Who is your political hero or political crush?

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

What’s your favorite part about Forward Montana?

My favorite part about FMT is how it gets young people very politically active. I think it’s incredibly important nowadays to do this.

If you were running for President, what would your campaign song be?

Fight Song by Rachel Platten

What made you want to be a monthly Rockstar donor?

I wanted to be a monthly donor because I care very deeply about the future of Montana and I think that Forward Montana has a large role in that.

Why should other people sign on as monthly Rockstar donors?

If you want to support an organization that is going to have your best interests in mind during the future, whether it be the cost of your education, your access to healthcare, your ability to vote for a candidate of your choice, your safety and health, or any other interest, Forward MT is that organization.

We call our monthly members Rockstars because:

The other weekend, both Forward Montana & Planned Parenthood Advocates of MT had the incredible chance to partner with local celebrities Pinky & the Floyd for an awesome #Rock2Vote show on the Emerson Lawn. Right before the show was set to start, the clouds cleared, the rain stopped, and we had an incredible turnout upwards of 300 community members in attendance!

We also had an amazing group of volunteers come out for the show to help us canvass the park to register new voters! We updated addresses, talked to people about what’s on the ballot in November, and troubleshooted questions about voter registration and where people can find their polling location. Getting to talk to community members, young people, older folks, and families about the importance of their vote and their voice in November was amazing to share with our volunteers, interns, and field staff.

We registered a 51 year old first-time voter, tons of young people, and several groups of families to vote. Pinky & the Floyd also talked about the importance of voter registration and getting out your vote in November throughout the duration of the show. Creating a space where community members could listen to an awesome band, talk about voting, and normalize conversations based around the importance of casting your ballot was an incredible experience. Big thanks to Pinky & the Floyd, Planned Parenthood Advocates of MT, and all of our dedicated and passionate volunteers for making the concert a huge success!

My name is Maggie Bornstein and I am currently in my sophomore year at the University of Montana, where I study African-American studies. Originally from Massachusetts, the first time I registered to vote in Montana was with FMF, and it wasn’t long after that I became an intern, then a fellow, and now and ambassador for the 6-Mill Levy on the campus that is my second home. In my current position, my love for education, youth power, and Montana have collided, and to put it simply, I am living the damn dream.

The 6-Mill Levy provides critical funding to the Montana University System that allows for students like me to stay in school in hopes of bettering this place I have grown to love. In my home state, students pay $16,000 every year in tuition costs alone, which total to roughly $30,000 annually, including the cost of room and board. Here at the University of Montana, my total cost of attendance is still more affordable as an out of state student than it would be if I had stayed in Massachusetts to continue my education. As many as three other alumni from my suburban high school have come to the University of Montana in the past five years to pursue a more affordable education. While I could not have ended up going to college in a more special place, I often feel sad to have been raised in a state that drives thousands of students to seek education elsewhere–or often times, not at all. Without the 6-Mill Levy, students across the state will see an 18% increase in their tuition costs. For students from Montana, that is nearly a $1,500 increase. For students like me, approximately a $4,500 increase on our bill. What that means: 1 in every 4 UM student will be paying more than what I would be paying back home, in the third most expensive state to live in in the United States.

Basically, I am trying to say that the 6-Mill Levy is indescribably important and our state is at risk. Affordable education is not simply the cause of working-class students–it is the cause of Montanans. Montanans who want good teachers for their children and grandchildren; Montanans who want to have public servants who create good jobs; Montanans who want to be treated for illness and injury; Montanans who want clean water and a healthy environment.

So here at Forward Montana, we’re fighting the good fight–hard. We are on our campus collecting hundreds of pledges in support of the 6-Mill every single week until the election this November. We are talking to folks about what their education means to them, and let me tell you, it is inspiring. We’re gearing up to expand our outreach by planning some awesome community events to put those inspiring stories into words and get them published (we’re talking LTEs, baby). This campaign is statewide and being led by some of the most badass young Montanans I have had the pleasure of knowing. Want to get involved? Not a UM student? No worries–find our MSU ambassador, Annie, who is slaying the game in Bozeman, or email our 6-Mill Levy lead, Hannah Pate, at ambassadorhannah@forwardmontana.org to lend a helping hand from anywhere in the 406.