I was born on the east side of Detroit into a large extended Italian American family. It’s not uncommon for us to have 45 or more family members gather for the holidays. Like any other working-class family, we’ve had our ups and downs. I was the first person in my immediate family to earn a college diploma. And I’m thankful that my education prepared me for a successful career in sales management as well as the establishment of a small business. I’m grateful for my opportunities and proud of my extended family’s accomplishments, including two female doctors, a rocket scientist, a Christmas tree farmer, a corporate executive, several teachers, and many more. Although, like many families, we’ve faced adversity too. I witnessed and assisted family members dealing with long-term mental health issues, addiction, loss of healthcare benefits, crippling student loan debt, and poverty. The state government cannot remove every obstacle that Michigan residents face, but it should work in their best interests. We must break special interest groups’ stranglehold on our state legislature so that the government works for the people, not the other way around.