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Essay on Senator Barbara Mikulski
Mikulski, Barbara A., Democratic member of the United States Senate from Maryland, was born and raised in Baltimore, where her Polish immigrant family ran a bakery. She earned a bachelor's degree from Mount St. Agnes College in 1958 and a master's degree in social work from the University of Maryland in 1965. Mikulski worked as a social worker in Baltimore. She also taught sociology as an adjunct professor at Loyola College.
In 1971 Mikulski won a seat on the Baltimore City Council. As a new member of the council, she caught the attention of the Democratic National Committee, which chose her to head its Commission on Delegate Selection in 1972. After an unsuccessful bid for the United States Senate in 1974, Mikulski was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976. Ten years later, Mikulski easily defeated Linda Chavez, a former White House aide, to win a seat in the Senate. She was the first Democratic woman ever to serve in both houses of Congress.
The people of Maryland elected Barbara Mikulski to be their United States Senator because she's a fighter. She looks out for the day-to-day needs of Marylanders and the long range needs of the nation (Deborah, 2000).
A History of Helping Others and Building Communities
Growing up in the Highlandtown neighborhood of East Baltimore, Senator Mikulski learned the values of hard work, neighbor helping neighbor and heartfelt patriotism. She often saw her father open the family grocery store early so local steelworkers could buy lunch before the morning shift. Attending local Catholic school, Mikulski was inspired by the Christopher social movement. Their motto – "It's better to light one candle, than to curse the darkness" – became one her guiding principles.
Determined to make a difference in her community, Mikulski became a social worker. She worked for Catholic Charities and Baltimore's Department of Social Services, helping at-risk children and educating seniors about the Medicare program....
