You belong in politics. I know because I was you.

Hi, I’m Brigitte.

Five years ago, I was working in tech, sitting in meetings while scrolling the news. I felt anxious, helpless, and desperate to do something as I watched the things I cared about most: our democracy, our communities, our rights come under direct attack by extreme MAGA policies. I felt urgency. I felt frustration. And I knew I could not stay on the sidelines anymore.

I would look at jobs in politics, but nothing seemed to line up. My skills did not match the job descriptions. I did not have the connections or the ecosystem knowledge to make the jump.

The truth was, I knew I had valuable skills, but I needed help understanding how they fit into politics and where to begin.

Today, I work at Zinc Collective on the DigiDems program alongside the Arena team. I spend my days building digital and social communication strategies for dozens of Democratic campaigns that will help determine the outcome of the 2026 election.

So how did I get here? Arena.

From my very first info session, Arena made the path into politics feel possible. They helped me see how my skills, my experience, and my lived perspective could actually translate into meaningful work.

I attended Arena Academy in 2022. I learned the fundamentals of campaigns, how my private-sector digital advertising experience transferred, and what truly makes campaign work different. Just as importantly, I found a community of thousands of people who cared deeply about the same things I did. For the first time in a long time, I did not feel alone.

After Arena Academy, Arena helped connect me to DigiDems, a program that places trained digital staff on critical House races. I was placed on Lauren Underwood’s campaign, where I was thrilled to discover the Field Director was a new friend I had made at Arena Academy. Congresswoman Underwood is an Arena 2018 Fellow, so it felt like everything had come full circle. We won, and it solidified my decision to build a career in politics.

Today, I am back at DigiDems advising campaigns and helping train future DigiDems who are exactly where I was not that long ago.

Arena helped me find my place in politics.

If you are on the fence, wondering whether you belong, whether it is too late, or whether politics is really for you, I have been there. Arena Academy helped me take that first real step.

Applications are open now—and the deadlines are coming up fast:

Arena Academy 201: The New Management Skills — apply by February 8
Arena Academy — apply by March 21

If you’re ready to invest in yourself, build skills that matter, and join a community that has your back, this is your moment.

👉 Apply to Arena Academy today. You don’t have to have it all figured out, just start and Arena will help you find your way.

Apply