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Ayesha S. Kirk
Georgia State University
G.A.P.S Fellow
May 2014
Georgia Academic and Political Scholars Final Report
SHADOW EXPERIENCE: State House Representative Keisha Waites
During the Georgia Academic and Political Fellows shadow experience, I had the pleasure of
assisting Georgia State House Representative for House District 60 Keisha Waites. Representative
Waites was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives on February 6, 2012. Thus, my
shadowing experience entailed entering a seasoned legislative office which had already fully developed
goals and strategies pertinent to the 2014 Georgia House Legislative session. Representative Waites’
legislative focus includes issues which are relevant to individuals who are disenfranchised both in District
60 and across the great state of Georgia. In addition to advocating for the constituents of District 60,
Representative Waites has a genuine passion for serving to shed light on issues which are relevant to
women and girls across the State of Georgia. Representative Waites also serves on the Interstate
Cooperation, Juvenile Justice, Public Safety, and Homeland Security, Special Rules and Transportation
committees. During the shadowing experience, I gained administrative skills, insight into the various
nuances of the legislative process, and an up­close and personal look at the needs of District 60’s
constituents.
The first order of business in Representative Waites’ office during my shadowing session was to
understand the legislation that Representative Waites and her office were dedicated to passing in the

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Spring session. There were numerous House Bills proposed by Representative Waites during the 2014
legislative session including:
1. HB 694­ Georgia Rail Passenger and High Speed Rail facilities Authority Law­ A BILL to
be entitled an Act to amend Article 9 of Chapter 9 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to the "Georgia Rail Passenger Authority Law," so as to revise the short title; to
revise the legislative purpose; to revise a definition; to revise certain general powers of the authority; to
revise the statement of public purpose of the authority; to amend the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated to change references to the short title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting
laws; and for other purposes. The potential legislation made it to a second read on the floor of the
House.
2. HB 700­ A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 3 of Title 30 of the Official Code
of Georgia Annotated, relating to access to and use of public facilities by persons with disabilities, so as
to provide for increased accessibility by the blind and visually impaired. The potential legislation made it
to a House committee review.
3. HB 754­ A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 3 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20
of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to educational programs in elementary and
secondary education, so as to enact the "Blind Persons' Braille Literacy Rights and Education Act"; to
provide definitions; to require an evaluation of a blind or visually impaired child to determine such child's
need for Braille instruction; to require Braille instruction in the individualized education program of a
blind or visually impaired student; to provide requirements for textbook publishers relating to electronic
materials; to provide license requirements relating to Braille for certain teachers; to provide for related

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matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. The potential legislation made it through to a
second read on the floor of the House.
4. HB 812­ A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 2 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title
20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to discipline of students in elementary and
secondary education, so as to revise provisions relating to bullying; to provide for legislative findings; to
require annual reporting of bullying incidents; to provide for definitions; to provide for requirements for
local boards of education, state charter schools, and private schools; to provide for requirements for the
Department of Education; to provide for statutory construction; to provide for related matters; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes. The potential legislation made it through to a second read on
the floor of the House.
5. HB 813­ A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 34 of the Official Code
of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to labor and industrial relations, so as to
provide that it shall be unlawful for any employer to include on an application for employment a question
inquiring whether the applicant has ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any crime; to
provide for exceptions; to provide that such information may be sought during the first personal
interview with the candidate; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. The proposed legislation
made it through to a second read on the floor of the House.
In order to maximize my shadowing experience, I had to research and understand the issues
which led to the creation of the legislation Representative Waites presented during the 2014 House
Legislative session. I personally assisted with HB 700, HB 754, HB 812 and HB 813 this session. For
each House Bill, I learned about the issues pertinent to the creation of the legislation, arranged Excel
spreadsheets to keep track of the stakeholders for each House Bill and assisted in reaching out to the

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constituents in the district who had concerns about the potential ramifications of the legislation
Representative Waites worked on during the legislative session. Tasked with speaking to the public
about their concerns and suggestions both inside and outside of District 60, allowed me to increase the
depth of knowledge I possess about the concerns of Georgia’s constituents. Meeting with constituents
regarding issues they felt passionately about also allowed me hone my communication skills and the art
easing the fears and doubts of citizens by providing accurate information about the legislative process. I
developed a system to assist the intern staff with keeping up with the various duties each of us attended
to during the session, so as maximize productivity and limit any unnecessary overlap of our
responsibilities. By utilizing Google Docs, I created a spreadsheet style “check­in” document, where the
interns would document the tasks completed for the day and the tasks they were currently working on.
The document ensured that the staff could stay abreast of legislative preparations, staff meetings and
committee hearings relevant to District 60 during the legislative session.
During the shadow experience, I also had the opportunity to meet with stakeholders, including
representatives from the Georgia Council of the Blind, The National Federation of the Blind of Georgia,
and Georgia Equality. I was able to be a part of the meetings Representative Waites conducted
throughout the session with the various advocacy groups. The participation of the advocacy groups in
the legislative process was both helpful and pertinent to gaining a better understanding of the issues the
legislation could rectify and the demographics of the constituents it would impact. The information I
gained from listening to the representatives of the various advocacy groups lobby for their causes helped
me to understand the importance of the legislative process in Georgia. I also had an opportunity to draft
numerous letters during my shadow experience on behalf of Representative Waites, including letters to
the District 60 school officials, the GA Shriners, the Turkish Federation and many others. Completing

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the task of composing a formal business letter and working through subsequent drafts and rewrites
allowed me to hone my writing skills beyond the typical academic spectrum to which I am accustomed.
I now feel that my ability to compose documents to dignitaries and groups for potential outreach in the
community has grown exponentially.
Finally, the outreach I performed to the various elementary and high schools within District 60
and the outreach and follow­up with college students in Atlanta allowed me see the impact that the
legislative branch of government in Georgia has on education. Crafting statements designed to reach out
to support the District 60 schools (which offered information about resources such as visits to the State
capital and recognition for the District’s outstanding students), taught me the importance of support for
the learning process in Georgia. State officials who support and recognize the efforts of Georgia’s
teachers have a profound impact on the teachers’ ability to identify their school’s progress in educating
the future leaders in our state. I had the pleasure of creating a PSA for a young girl who attends school
in District 60 who created her own non­profit organization offering new and gently used blankets to the
homeless community. The young girl shadowed the interns and Representative Waites for an entire
day.Witnessing how engaged and excited the young girl was to learn about the legislative process was a
heartwarming and extremely moving experience. It solidified my understanding of community outreach
and the lasting impact of legislative efforts in the State of Georgia. Moving forward, I would definitely
recommend shadowing a State legislator for any student who desires to become more involved in the
political process, including those individuals who wish to pursue a career in the political arena one day.
My legislative shadowing experience during the 2014 Spring Georgia House Legislative session
has allowed me to delve into understanding the research, development and state guidelines for the creation
of state legislation. My experience included conducting daily correspondence with state politicians, Georgia
constituents, advocacy groups and numerous Consuls and Consul­Generals in order to garner support for

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the passage of state legislation. As a result of my shadow experience, I have become adept at a multitude
of clerical duties, and I understand and appreciate the importance of efficient and thorough research skills.
I have come to develop an excellent understanding of the various nuances of the legislative process. I
have found a true passion for researching and collaborating on various state and federal legislation as it
relates to both businesses and constituents.
CAMPAIGN EXPERIENCE: Angelic Moore for State House District 54
The next experience I obtained during my Georgia Academic and Political Scholars Fellowship
was the opportunity to gain experience working on a political campaign. I held a position as the Director
of Scheduling and Constituent Services for the Angelic Moore for State House District 54 Political
Campaign in the Spring of 2014. Ms. Moore had run a previous attempt at becoming a State House
Representative, and sought to garner enough votes to become the majority Republican candidate for
District 54 during the Spring 2014 elections. Georgia’s District 54 precincts include locations in
Buckhead and certain areas of Historic Brookhaven. Ms. Angelic Moore is an Alumni of Georgia State
University and currently serves as the Director of the Board of Visitors for the Georgia State University
Honors College. Professionally, Angelic works as the Vice President of Insider Advantage and the
Internet News Agency. During the Angelic Moore for State House 54 campaign, I played a key role in
the efforts by revitalizing primary election voters with canvassing efforts throughout the district.
Canvassing efforts were executed daily throughout District 54, and included introducing the candidate
and her stance on the issues relevant to District 54 to the voters, distributing walk pieces in the various
neighborhoods, and garnering permission to place yard signs on constituent’s property in District 54.
During the campaign I learned how to use the Voter Vault software to create Excel

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spreadsheets for the candidate about the information collected during canvassing efforts. The Excel
spreadsheets included precinct walk lists which notated all of the voters who had been reached by the
campaign, all of the voters who would allow yard signs to be placed on their property, and all of the
voters who supported casting a vote for the candidate. I also pulled up information using Voter Vault
software in order to maintain an accurate database of the constituents met on the campaign trail to
indicate future follow up efforts by the members of the campaign. As a part of the Moore campaign
efforts, I attended fundraising and campaign outreach events as a designated member and representative
of the campaign. During the voter outreach events there were various photo opportunities with potential
supporters, networking opportunities and pertinent discussion about the issues voters were concerned
with leading up to the election. The campaign generally hosted social events once a week throughout
District 54 in order to connect with the constituents and to get out the vote.
Another component of my campaign experience concerned the management all of the
campaign’s social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Buckhead Patch blog, Campaign website) over the
past few months. I was responsible for crafting regular posts indicating the candidate’s stance on issues
relevant to the district’s constituents. Typically this duty entailed the creation of about 4­5 social media
posts weekly. As a result of my social media efforts, Facebook’s analytical software indicated that the
social media posts increased the campaign’s visibility and traffic on social media platforms by 5%.
Another aspect of the campaign that I worked on pertained to initiating contact between connections
which I thought would be beneficial to the campaign efforts in District 54. I was responsible for initiating
contact and gaining the support of prominent Atlanta Falcon’s Neurosurgeon Dr. Kaveh Khajavi, MD,
FACS owner of the Georgia Spine and Neurological Surgery practice for the campaign who currently
runs a practice located in the Buckhead area. I also initiated contact with Cobb County School Board

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member & American Federation for Children Government Affairs Advisor David Morgan for the
Moore campaign’s efforts. Collaborating with my professional contacts allowed me to understand the
importance of utilizing prior connections in ongoing campaign efforts. As a result, I learned a great deal
about networking in the process.
My prior experience in the restaurant industry also solicited contacts for the the Moore
campaign. I networked with prominent Buckhead restaurant owners to in order to garner approval for
the placement of campaign yard signs & walk pieces at business outlets in the District. I assisted in
gathering information about constituents for location scouting for the campaign’s TV commercial spots
by using Voter Vault to look up contact information about residents in order to ask for filming
permission at various locations throughout the district. As a part of the scheduling duties I held, I
updated and kept track of all of the campaign’s meet and greet events, constituent homeowner
association meetings taking place in the district and & fundraiser events for the candidate. Part of my
duties also entailed reaching out to local newspapers ad executives to gain information and rates for
printed campaign advertisements. At the end of my shadowing experience the primary election for
District 54 was held, and unfortunately Angelic Moore was defeated in her attempt to become the
Republican nominee for the general election in the Fall. The experience working on the campaign was
extremely fruitful, and I learned a great deal about organization, strategic planning and multi­tasking to
GOTV during election season in Georgia.
SMALL GROUP EXPERIENCE: Volunteer Recruitment for Political Campaigns
The final component of my G.A.P.S. fellowship entailed a small­group project focused on
recruiting volunteers for political campaigns in Georgia. For this aspect of my G.A.P.S. fellowship, I had

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several ideas about the best way to recruit volunteers. After sharing the initial planning phase with my
fellow G.A.P.S. group members, we decided that the best approach to the project was to recruit
volunteers separately on our individual college campuses. The first foray into recruiting volunteers that I
personally attempted to achieve our goals entailed contacting numerous Democratic organizations in
Georgia to extend an opportunity to their members to participate in the political process by working on
political campaigns. I created a form letter to submit to all of the Presidents and PR board members for
the Democratic organizations across Georgia and attached a Google document which allowed
individuals to fill out their preferences for campaigns. I submitted the form to over 20 Democratic
organizations and received only one reply from a former President of an organization. After a month of
waiting and following up with subsequent emails to the Democratic organizations of Georgia without
much success, I decided to pursue a different avenue to recruit volunteers for campaigns.
My next concept to recruit volunteers involved single­handedly organized efforts to recruit
college students on the Georgia State University campus to volunteer for campaigns by partnering the
efforts with my on campus organization, the American Association of University Women. As the
President of AAUW, I organized the student members of the AAUW organization to reserve an
outdoor table in the Library Plaza at Georgia State University for two specific days, Tuesday, April 22,
2014 and Thursday, April 24, 2014. Generally Tuesday’s and Thursday’s on the campus are the
busiest, and the amount of foot traffic in the plaza ensures visibility for student­run organizations to
fundraise or recruit new student members. Therefore, I chose to focus volunteer recruitment on the two
days I believed would garner the best results. I created a plan to use some of AAUW’s funds to
provide free slices of pizza to any of the Georgia State students who agreed to sign up to volunteer for a
political campaign. I then created a volunteer recruitment sign­up form which we would have our

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AAUW members monitor during the volunteer sign­up. I also created flyers that were placed around
campus in the hopes of recruiting students to volunteer for political campaigns who could not attend the
GSU plaza volunteer drive. The flyers included a link to a Google form where students could sign up
online to volunteer to work on the various political campaigns. About a week before the event, I
ordered the food items necessary for the volunteer drive through Georgia State University’s catering
department. The order for both days of recruiting entailed:
April 22, 2014:
● (3) 16 inch Pepperoni Pizzas­ $11.99 each for a total of $35.97
● (3) 16 inch Cheese Pizzas­ $10.99 each for a total of $32.97
● (2) Gallons of Fruit Punch­ $13.99 each for a total of $27. 98
Grand Total: $ 96.92
April 24, 2014:
● (6) 16 inch Pepperoni Pizzas­ $11.99 each for a total of $71.94
● (5) 16 inch Cheese Pizzas­ $10.99 each for a total of $54.95
● (3) Gallons of Fruit Punch­ $13.99 each for a total of $41.97
Grand Total: $168.86
On the first date of the volunteer recruitment Tuesday April 22, 2014, the Library plaza was
closed due to inclement weather. Therefore, myself and the Vice President of AAUW picked up the
pizzas from catering and set up a temporary volunteer recruitment stand inside of the Georgia State
University Student Center. We recruited for an hour that day, offering students a choice of one slice of
the pizza of their choice and a cup of punch. The first day we received the names and numbers of 35
student volunteers. The second volunteer recruitment day, on Thursday April 24, 2014 we were able to

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add to our volunteer recruitment efforts from the previous day to conclude the volunteer recruitment with
the names of over 70 student volunteers for political campaigns. Coordinating the efforts for the voter
recruitment to include the AAUW organization ended up being extremely productive. Future efforts to
recruit political campaign volunteers would likely be just as successful on the Georgia State University
campus, provided that a small financial investment can be made (in the form of food and drinks) to
encourage students to sign up to volunteer. The breakdown of the funds used per student recruited
averaged out to be around $3.80 per student volunteer. This small initial investment garnered the highest
number of volunteers during volunteer recruitment efforts, and could be factored into a campaign’s
budget for the purpose of gathering a large number of potential campaign volunteers on college
campuses in the future.
FINAL REFLECTION: G.A.P.S. Fellowship Experience Summary
During the course of my G.A.P.S fellowship I gained an immense wealth of knowledge about
the fundamental elements of forming and running a political campaign, as well as important information
about the legislative process. As a result, I have further solidified my interest in becoming a politician in
the future. The real world experience I gained during my legislative shadowing solidified my
understanding of the factors of political science which are necessary far beyond the information I have
received instruction on during my time as an undergraduate student at Georgia State University. I now
possess a better understanding of the daily maneuvering of the different components of a legislative
office, and I am confident that my skill set has grown immensely. The G.A.P.S. fellowship has given me
confidence in my abilities, a foundation for continued growth in the political arena, and the ability to
understand the legislative process and the components of the political process involved in local
campaigns. Moving forward, I would recommend the fellowship to my colleagues and fellow students

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who wish to have an in­depth understanding of pursuing a career in the political arena. It has truly been
an honor and a privilege to be a part of the first class of Georgia Academic and Political Scholars, and
the experience is one that I shall cherish indefinitely