Grace Suchanyc has been working for Assemblyman Schmitt
(Editor’s Note: In the spring of 2019, I took a bus ride to Albany with administrators, teachers and students of the Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery Central School District to ask state legislators for fair funding for the HF-FMCSD. We divided into groups of adults and students and made our way through a schedule of different offices making our case. In my group was an O’Neill High School freshman named Grace Suchanyc, a Fort Montgomery resident. The kid was impressive … she’d done her homework, could spiel off facts, asked pointed questions, and had a story she wanted to share. I found myself in awe of this young teenager. Just over three years later, Grace just graduated from O’Neill and is getting ready to attend American University in Washington, DC this fall, majoring in international affairs.
None of that withstanding, here’s why I’m writing about Grace this week — for the past year and a half, she’s been doing a student internship with Assemblyman Colin Schmitt’s office. She remains a force to be reckoned with, and I don’t think any of us should forget her name. MJP)
In the July 4th parade in Highland Falls, there were floats, bands and other marching units, along with the usual delegation of area politicians. Assemblyman Colin Schmitt was one of those politicians, walking with several of his staff members, waving at the crowd. He also had several staff members walking on the sidewalks, handing out some materials to spectators; information about who he is, what he’s done and what he’s got planned for the future.
One of those staff members was familiar to local parade-goers: Grace Suchanyc.
“I’ve been working for Assemblyman Schmitt for about a year and a half now,” she said this week, saying she saw an ad in this newspaper for an internship position opening in his district office, and applied for it.
That, in itself, is not a typical high school thing to do.
But Grace isn’t typical. In both seventh and eighth grade she competed — well — in the national History Bee. As an eighth grader, she traveled to the state capital with a group led by teacher Heather Evangelista for a model legislature event with middle schoolers from around the state. At O’Neill, she served as student body treasurer for three years and student body president for her senior year.
“I’ve definitely always been interested in government,” she says.
Grace, who turned 18 last week, worked in Schmitt’s Assembly office in Washingtonville until about February of this year. Then, she switched over to work in his Congressional campaign office in Montgomery. So, she’s learned a great deal about both state and federal government and the similarities and differences between the two.
“Right now, I’m in the office or out canvassing five to ten hours a week,” she said.
“My duties on the Assembly side often consisted of receiving phone calls, helping draft press releases, and reviewing legislation,” she said. “On the Congressional campaign I’ve been going door to door talking with voters for a few months now.”
She was thrilled she was assigned to the Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery area for the canvassing.
Grace, who also works at Fort Fitness, the gym her family owns, was the only high schooler on Schmitt’s Assembly staff. There are several other high schoolers assisting with the campaign.
She’s enjoyed the work in both offices.
“I’ve liked being able to meet with people from all across the county and learning about issues that affect others that I was previously unaware of, and helping to solve them,” she said. “People skills are good to have no matter what field you go into, and working for Assemblyman Schmitt has given me a better understanding of politics on both the state and national levels.”
Assemblyman Schmitt’s Chief of Staff Taylor Weyeneth called Grace “exceptional”.
“Grace aided Assemblyman Schmitt and our district office with several items,” he said. “For instance, intaking and responding to casework for local constituents, assisting with planning and staffing community events, and working with the office’s full-time staff to ensure annual ceremonies such as Women of Distinction, Salute to First Responders, and Veteran’s Hall of Fame were successful.
A skill set Grace brought to Schmitt’s staff was her ability to speak three languages — Spanish, Mandarin and Arabic — in addition to her native English. She said she was the only one in the Assembly office who spoke Mandarin (which she took all through high school and will continue at college this Fall), so she worked on a rent issue that came up not too long ago with one of Schmitt’s constituents. As for her Arabic, she says she practices that with some local folks who work at a store she frequents, and she’ll continue classes in that in college next Spring.
I’ve liked being able to meet with people from all across the county and learning about issues that affect others that I was previously unaware of, and helping to solve them.”
Grace Suchanyc
Grace heads to American University later this month and while she doesn’t know her exact finish date with Schmitt’s campaign, her goal is to hit 1000 doors that she’s knocked on by that point. As of last Saturday, she needed about 100 more.
“It’s been really great talking to people,” she said.
She also said she has learned a great deal from Schmitt and his staff, and particularly enjoyed the youthful environment in his office. Schmitt is just 32.
In a perfect world for Grace, Schmitt will get elected to Congress this fall, and … just maybe … she’d be able to continue working for him. In the meantime, she’s already joined American’s School of International Affairs Under-graduate Council and is looking forward to her first meeting with that group this Fall.
And as for Assemblyman Schmitt, he’d love to see her dream come true. And what does he have to say about his young intern?
“Grace is an exceptional young leader,” he said this week. “I am confident we will all be working for her one day! She excels at every task given to her. She impresses every constituent she has ever interacted with. We hate to lose her to college in DC, but if all goes according to plan she will have an open spot in my DC Congressional office day 1 when we start in January.”
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Other students who may be interested in volunteering, can email the Assemblyman’s district director, John Ross, at jross@nyassembly.gov to find out more information.
