SemDems’ Activist of the Month
August 2022
Jeannie
Our August Activist of the Month, Jeannie grew up in New York State, near New York City, with two younger sisters. Her father was an editor for technical journals and her mother stayed home when the children were young and later served as a secretary in a public school. Jeannie went to SUNY College in Buffalo, New York where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education.
Jeannie moved to Central Florida in 1978 where she taught special education in public schools (Orange County) for 30 years and then taught English to adult international students for 8 years. Although she participated in a few protest marches over the years, she became an activist when she joined the SemDems in 2019. She says, “I was looking for activities in my retirement and wanted to get rid of Trump!” With the SemDems, she likes to participate in voter registration, handing out voter guides at outdoor events, postcard writing, and helping candidates with their campaigns. She indicates, “I like meeting lots of nice, like-minded people, especially at the public events – it shows me how many people support us even though we’re not always as loud as the other side.”
Aside from her contributions to the SemDems, Jeannie enjoys travel, cooking, baking, and her adorable 9-year-old rescue dog, a Pug named Molly. Jeannie further shares, “My 68th birthday is a week after getting this award, which means I’ve been a registered Democrat for 50 years! I turned 18 the first year 18-year-olds could vote in a presidential election and voted for McGovern, who was running against Nixon.” The Democrats, and especially the SemDems, are fortunate to have had Jeannie’s decades of support!