As I entered adulthood, I did what so many hardworking Wisconsinites do: I got a job at 16 and I’ve worked ever since. Over the years, I’ve been in different industries and workplaces, and I’ve watched people pushed to their breaking point by systems that no longer value them, and corporations that treat workers as disposable. When I went to school, I faced skyrocketing tuition costs, only to watch the world shut down during COVID while students were left struggling. I did what was expected (studied, worked hard, earned multiple degrees) only to graduate into a world where good jobs are harder to find, wages haven’t kept up with reality, and we’re told to compete harder even as opportunities shrink.

Meanwhile, the cost of living has exploded. The average home is nearly $400,000, and families are being priced out of the very communities they grew up in. The rural towns I drove through as a kid, once proud, active places, are now struggling, abandoned, and hurting. I see inner-city neighborhoods dealing with poverty, neglect, and streets filled with litter. I meet farmers battling serious health problems while being denied the care they need. I talk to young parents who just want to raise their kids in a state that gives them hope.

And I am angry, not out of bitterness, but because Wisconsin deserves better. We deserve a future where hard work actually leads to stability. Where communities, both rural and urban, are supported, not ignored. Where families can build a life instead of constantly fighting just to stay afloat.