2008 Woodie Awards
Soph plays role in Hillary's win
Seth Gorenstein
Issue date: 2/8/08 Section: News
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When she saw on a giant TV screen that presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won the New York primary, Wilburn lead a rallying chant that pierced through the noisy hubbub of Clinton's primary headquarters last Tuesday.
"When I say madam, you say president! Madam! President! Madam! President!" Wilburn shouted, as her fellow interns and volunteers joined in the call-and-response chant.
Wilburn has been interning for the Clinton presidential campaign since December, and Tuesday's victory was the reward for weeks of phone banking, street campaigning and event organizing. "The biggest feeling of joy washed over me when we saw New York was for Hillary," she said after the event. "We worked really hard, and it paid off. It felt good."
Wilburn's journey toward working for her political hero began with a simple request to a well-connected woman. Last November, after an informal student question and answer session with former Secretary of the State Madeleine Albright, Wilburn approached the Drew Forum speaker and said, "Oh, tell Hillary if she needs help to call me."
"I was kind of joking," Wilburn said. "But [Albright] said, 'do you want to work on the campaign?' and I said, 'Um, yeah!' So she gave me her card and I forwarded my resume to [Albright's] e-mail."
Wilburn was later contacted by the Clinton campaign and asked to volunteer for a fundraising event at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, N.J. After the event, she was invited to the campaign's Manhattan office, where Wilburn was introduced to an intern coordinator. While driving home to East Cleveland, Ohio, for winter break, Wilburn's cell phone rang and she interviewed for the campaign internship while driving. One week later, Wilburn returned to Drew, which would be her home for the winter while she commuted to and from the office.
Working for Hillary Clinton is a surreal experience for Wilburn. Her admiration for the former first lady stems from childhood. "I grew up in a Democrat household," Wilburn said. "My mom was always a Bill Clinton supporter, and I knew of Hillary through him. Even as a kid, I was like, 'Oh wow, she's not a typical first lady.' Also my mom thought she was cool, so I guess by default, I did too."
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Qiana
posted 2/20/08 @ 11:27 AM EST
Please believe this is only the beginning of what is to come from young Dominique. She is truly an inspiration to other young adults. Her determination is something that I admire even as her older cousin. (Continued…)
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