WOODS CROSS—College can be a busy time in a person’s life. So busy, in fact, that many students dedicate themselves full time to the endeavor, filling up their schedules with classes, homework, extracurricular activities, and more. One such student is managing, with the help of her friends, to do both that and run for city council.

Muskan Walia, of Woods Cross, is a fourth-year student at the University of Utah studying mathematics and philosophy, and, like many college students, wasn’t “that civically engaged.” Over the course of her college career, however, Walia found that the more she learned, the more she wanted to get involved, to contribute, and give back to the community. 

Influenced in large part by the professors and courses she was taking, Walia set to work, but, balancing college and a campaign would take some work. Fortunately, as she said, “I have a lot of good people around me,” including her close friend Ainsley Gordon who has, herself, worked on several campaigns. Gordon, another student at the U, added that in addition to the support lent by her social circle, college itself “gives us a unique experience.”

While a lot of that experience surrounds education, much of it also comes down to community. Starting college during the pandemic obliged many students in Walia’s age group to band together like never before. “College students are really good at building community,” said Walia, adding that much of her campaign has centered on, “find(ing) creative ways to connect with people (in Woods Cross),” and she’s really putting in the effort to do just that. 

In addition to talking with the community that surrounds her parents’ small business in Woods Cross, The Apple, Walia has also focused on “meeting people where they’re at.” This means that she doesn’t necessarily meet many people at “meet the candidate” events, or rallies. No, for Walia, in large part, that has meant door-knocking campaigns, and being involved in the community, introducing herself to residents in a very one-on-one, personal way. 

Walia doesn’t want to just connect with people in her age group either. Over the course of her campaign, she has made a big effort to connect with Woods Cross residents of all ages, saying how important it is to her that they are “bringing the right people to the table” when it comes to issues facing their community. Walia also mentioned how she has really been “leaning on the people I’ve grown up with” to learn how best to serve the Woods Cross community.

Win, lose, or draw, both Walia and Gordon shared what a valuable experience this campaign has been. “People want to hear, and need to hear every perspective,” said Gordon, “you can learn so much.” Walia added that, like many large endeavors in life, the best thing to do for young people in politics is to simply “Take steps – show up.” Walia hopes that by involving every age group, she and the community can really find solutions that work for everyone in the community that she calls home.