By Indrawattie Natram

UNITED STATES-BASED Guyanese Lalita Etwaroo is aspiring to take up leadership responsibilities in the coming months as she prepares to challenge Democratic Clyde Vanel for a New York State Assembly Legislative seat. Twenty-six-year-old Etwaroo is a Republican candidate for the NY State Assembly in the 33rd District which covers the neighbourhood of Cambria Heights, St Albans, Hollis, Queens Village, Bellerose and parts of the Floral Park in Queens.

Entering the elections under the slogan “Don’t just speak about change, make the change”, Etwaroo intends to use her platform to transform the various areas should she win the coveted seat.

During an interview with Pepperpot Magazine on what actually inspired her into politics, Etwaroo, known as Leesia by friends and family, said that former Guyana President and First Lady, Janet Jagan was instrumental in this regard. She said as she journeyed to further her studies in the USA in Political Science her passion intensified.

“In Guyana, [the late President and First Lady] Janet [Jagan] inspired me simply because she was a woman who fought the struggles for other women,” Leesia explained.

Born to Guyanese parents, Dhaneshwar Etwaroo and Bhagmattie Persaud, Leesia left the shores of Guyana at the age of 11. She still has fond childhood memories of Guyana and vividly remembers how Guyanese would celebrate different festivals and holidays.

She graduated from Bayside High School in 2009, then after joining John Jay College, she successfully graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminology and Political Science in 2013. She also attained a Master’s in Public Administration with concentrations in Human Resources and Operations Management in 2016 from John Jay College.

Although she spent 15 years studying, she opted to be a businesswoman for her business Edible Arrangements where she can be her own boss and work at her own pace but then politics caught her attention. “My journey in politics started to materialise when I interned at the New York State Assembly in 2012. I worked alongside then assemblyman Robert J Castelli. We worked closely introducing legislation that would benefit constituents in the 89th Assembly District. During this time, I got to see how bills are researched, written, perfected, debated, rejected and perfected again in order to be passed onto the Senate. There, I learned that with technique and determination any member was able to represent their district to their full capacity,” Leesia told the Pepperpot Magazine.

Her life started to take a turn when she spent some time in Albany and there she discovered that there was a lack of transparency for constituents. She said one thing she dislikes is when political figures push their own personal agenda without thinking about what effects it would have on their district. Should she be elected she said she will ensure that homes are built for the homeless and that people are represented at the grassroots level.

HER POLITICAL LIFE

“I wanted to become more involved in my district, meet constituents, find out what worried people in our district and just to get a better understanding of where I have been living,” Etwaroo said.

She then became a member of the Queens Village Republican Club where she met several influential individuals working for the district. She also used her business to connect with the Guyanese community in the USA, and started supporting cultural events and local concerts through Edible Arrangements. It is her intention to keep the Guyanese culture and traditions alive even as she is living abroad.

Her ultimate goal is to take the win for Assembly District 33 and she is confident that with the support of Guyanese living abroad she can make it happen.