How one day in Virginia changed my life

Photo at the Supreme Court of the United States, June 24, 2022.

As a kid, I wouldn’t have called myself shy. It was a little bit easier for me to connect with adults than kids my own age. But I wasn’t shy. I did, however, struggle with anxiety. Anxiety so bad that I sometimes couldn’t even make myself do things that I had asked my parents to sign me up for.

City tennis lessons? I missed the first one because I was so anxious, I felt sick. That nausea came back at the second lesson, and my mom had to force me to participate.

Starting in a new league in softball? I would skip a year because I was so anxious about being the youngest and having to face faster pitchers.

So many of my regrets in life stem from me letting my anxiety hold me back from cool opportunities–high school softball, piano competitions, performances. I forced myself into some things, like starting a political club as a senior in high school, but the real change came unexpectedly on a hot, humid day in Virginia in 2021.

With Congressman John Curtis (UT-03) at an event I organized with my high school club, 2020.

In February 2021, I started in Students for Life Action’s State Captain program. This was a big step for me. I was a college freshman and was new to pro-life activism. I wanted to get more experience actually getting out into the community–doing things like knocking doors and lobbying–and more media experience.

So, flash forward to July 2021, and I’m in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia, getting dropped off by my first house on my first door-knocking experience with SFLAction.

With fellow students the night before beginning our door-knocking campaign.

Nervous about how people would react.

Excited to try something new.

Heart pounding at the thought of talking to a random stranger about politics.

Doing my best to put my anxiety to the side and face my discomfort head on.

With shaky hands, I walked up to my first door and took a deep breath before knocking. I waited.

10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…

No answer.

SFLAction didn’t want us to spend too long at one house, so I wedged my “Vote Glenn Youngkin” flyer into the gap between the front door and its frame and started walking to the next house. Though I was relieved that I could put off this awkward conversation just a little bit longer, having to wait just built up the suspense more.

I stopped at the next house and knocked. Just a few seconds went by before the door was answered by an older woman. I introduced myself, said I was with Students for Life, and asked her if she had a couple of minutes to talk about the upcoming gubernatorial election.

She said she didn’t really have time, but asked who I was knocking doors for. Once I told her I was there for Glenn Youngkin, her formerly pleasant expression turned into a scowl.

“Oh. Well, I’m voting for Terry McAuliffe,” she said with a huff as she took a step back and slammed the door shut.

Yikes.

Well, I thought, maybe this won’t be such a good experience if it’s just going to be a bunch of doors slamming in my face.

That same anxiety that I had felt as I got dropped off returned as I started making my way to the next few houses.

Nervous about how I would be treated.

Excited to maybe finally have a positive interaction.

Heart pounding at the thought that I might get another door slammed in my face.

Trying to put my anxiety to the side and do the best I could to make a good connection.

That anxious feeling only grew as more knocks went unanswered, until I walked up to a house with a University of Virginia flag flying proudly out front.

I knocked. A man answered and I went into the script I had been given.

“Hi, my name is Chloe! I’m out here with Students for Life looking to talk to people about the upcoming election. Do you have just a couple of minutes to answer a few questions?”

“Sure,” the man replied. “Are you going to school out here in Virginia?”

“No, I’m actually going to BYU out in Utah.”

His face lit up. “Oh, I know BYU! Your football coach came out here to our school a few years ago.”

Now, there are a few things that I could talk about for hours, and BYU Football is one of them. My family has had season tickets since I was five years old. I have only missed one game in the last 15 years. As soon as the man mentioned BYU Football, I knew I would be okay.

As a young child at BYU football games.

“Oh yeah, I know Bronco Mendenhall. I grew up in a family that’s big on football,” I said. He and I talked about college football for several minutes until I saw my ride coming to pick me up. I quickly asked him the questions I had been given and the interaction ended with him wishing me luck in my schooling and telling me he planned to vote for my candidate.

I hopped into the car, feeling so much better from just that one interaction.

The day continued with more interactions like the one I had with the football fan. My confidence increased with each friendly conversation I had. People offered me water bottles and snacks, handshakes, and well wishes.

It was at that point that it really hit me–I can connect with people. I don’t have to worry so much about what people will think about me.

For crying out loud, I, as a random college student from the other side of the country, had convinced a couple dozen strangers to vote for the candidate I was knocking doors for!

This experience helped me feel more confident in my storytelling talents and persuasive abilities. It helped me realize that I didn’t really have a reason to be so self-conscious and anxious when I interacted with new people.

Since then, I have taken advantage of the opportunities that have presented themselves in my life.

I knocked doors for a local (winning) mayoral campaign.

I spoke in front of over 1,000 people at a pro-life rally.

With Pro-Life Utah President Mary Taylor.

Speaking at Pro-Life Utah's Post-Roe Rally in July 2022.

I testified in committee at the Utah state legislature for a bill that passed and was signed into law.

No longer will I allow fear and anxiety stop me from achieving my goals and becoming better at the things that I enjoy.

Who would have guessed that one humid summer day in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia, would change my life and perspective so dramatically?

At the Lincoln Memorial with Students for Life, 2021.