At Colby, Laura Maloney ’12 learned that in order to create meaningful change, she had to get involved. Her time on Mayflower Hill gave her the tools and inspiration to make a difference and follow her true north. Now, as press secretary for U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, Maloney is acting on important national issues she believes in.

True North:
Laura Maloney

This short film, directed by Milton Guillén ’15, premiered at Colby’s Dare Northward event in Washington, D.C, April 10, 2018.

Remarks at the Washington, D.C., event

I think that was very surreal. I’m usually the one behind the camera. So thank you, Milton, so much for that fantastic film. It was really, really awesome. It had kind of like a House of Cards vibe.So, a couple of days after I graduated Colby in 2012, I moved in with my grandparents and started working on my first political job. I was working seven days a week raising money for a long-shot congressional candidate. My grandparents were very proud, despite the fact that she was a Democrat. And she won. So that brought me down to Washington and eventually to where I am today as press secretary for U.S. Senator Chris Murphy.
Laura Maloney ’12 speaks at Dare Northward in Washington D.C., April 10, 2018.

Working in the Senate right now is a crazy time, but it’s a lot of fun working in a time when interest and engagement in politics are peaking, and if Colby taught me one thing it’s that the voices of young people matter. And I think I’d be remiss to say, if I didn’t mention, the example that the Parkland students are setting. As you can see from the film, gun violence is an issue that I spent a lot of my time working on. My office represents Newtown, the families at Sandy Hook. I’ve gotten to know a lot of those families, and it’s an issue that’s really near and dear to my heart.

When I came to Colby, activism wasn’t something that came naturally to me. You know, I was still trying to figure out my sense of the world. I remember looking at the students who were really involved, the active students, and admiring their principals and their passion, and I just hadn’t figured it out yet. But then my sophomore year I decided to major in government, and I got involved in student government, and that’s when something clicked. It was something about being part of the process.

Colby really taught me that if you want something to change, you have to be part of pushing for that. And I think that’s what keeps me going here in Washington. It’s what keeps me involved and supportive of Colby now. I think this entire campaign is about pushing for change—you know, bold action, pushing for change—and it’s what keeps me involved in the younger generation.

So I’m happy to help out current Colby students as part of my work on Alumni Council and with DavisConnects. In fact, this Jan Plan our office hosted two Jan Plan interns: Natalie and Graciella, who are here tonight. I’m so happy.

And lastly, I just want to say I’m so proud to be here. Washington is a bit of a crazy place, especially when your job revolves around a 24-hour news cycle and whatever the president tweets next. But as exhausting as it can be, it’s also really invigorating. You know I’m working on issues that I deeply care about, for a boss who I respect, with coworkers I really love, and Colby prepared me for this.

Colby is a very special place for me, I met lifelong friends there, I met my fiancé there, and it gave me the education and the inspiration to really decide that I wanted to work in an industry where I could be pushing for change, that I could be part of something bigger.

And I definitely didn’t know it at the time, but Colby was showing me my true north.

Thank you.

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April 13, 2018