ACROSS THE AISLE, THAT, TO ME, IS A WIN.

>> Mary: THANK YOU, SHANNON.

GREAT TO HAVE YOU.

IT'S TIME TO MEET ANOTHER FIRST-TERM LAWMAKER.

THIS IS A TEACHER WHO TURNED INTO A LAWMAKER AND REPRESENTS INVER GROVE HEIGHTS.

WHY DID YOU WANT TO RUN FOR THIS OFFICE?

>> THE TIMING WAS SO RIGHT.

I AM A TEACHER BY PROFESSION.

AND I SEE ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENING IN SCHOOLS, ND WHATEVER'S HAPPENING IN THE SCHOOL HAPPENS KIND OF IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND MY WHOLE BACKGROUND JUST KIND OF LIKE LINED UP.

THE TIMING WAS RIGHT.

>> Mary: A NEW SEAT, OPEN SEAT, DOES THAT HELP?

>> YES, YES.

THIS IS A TOTALLY NEW SEAT.

EVERYTHING THAT I'VE DONE IN LIFE KIND OF, LIKE, LINED UP.

YOU KNOW?

I KNOW VERY FEW PEOPLE THAT START RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE, SAY, I'M GOING TO BE A POLITICIAN.

BUT WHAT I'VE DONE IN THE PAST , I WORKED IN HOUSING, WORKED FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, I WORKED WITH SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, I HELPED PEOPLE FIND RESOURCES.

I WAS A CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSIONER FOR THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS.

LEARNED ABOUT THE DISCRIMINATION PIECE.

AND THEN I ENDED UP TEACHING BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER, WHEN SHE WAS, LIKE, A LITTLE KID, JUST STARTING SCHOOL, SHE'S ALREADY READING AND WRITING AND DOING MATH WITH THIRD GRADE, BUT HER TEACHER SAID, COULD YOU PLEASE KEEP THE BEADS QUIET IN HER HAIR?

SO, THAT KIND OF -- THAT WAS A CALL TO ACTION.

>> Mary: IF I COULD JUMP IN, I'M WATCHING THE CROWN ACT MOVE.

>> YES, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

AND I ALSO WANTED TO BE A MENTOR FOR STUDENTS THAT LOOK LIKE ME.

I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN BURNSVILLE.

AND MY FAMILY WAS THE FIRST BLACK FAMILY OUT THERE IN 1956.

THERE WERE A LOT OF BARRIERS THAT WE WENT THROUGH.

MY PARENTS HAD PUT 40% DOWN ON THEIR HOME WHEN THEY PURCHASED IT.

THROUGH DEATH THREATS, THAT TYPE OF THING.

BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF REALLY NICE PEOPLE.

AND MY MOM KIND OF WONDERED WHY THIS FARMER KEPT, LIKE, DRIVING PAST OUR THREE AND A HALF ACRE HOME.

AND SHE FOUND OUT THAT HE WAS OUT THERE TO, LIKE, PROTECT US AND PROTECT THE FAMILY WHEN MY DAD WAS AT WORK AT NIGHT.

AND MY PARENTS HAVE BEEN FABULOUS.

THEY STRONGLY -- STRONG BELIEVERS IN EDUCATION.

THEY MET AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.

AND, SO, ONE THING THEY DID IS THEY ALWAYS MADE SURE THAT, LIKE, ALL OF US KIDS HAD ACCESS TO COLLEGE.

AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WORKED REALLY HARD TO DO THAT.

BUT THEY PAID FOR ALL OUR SCHOOLS, WHICH GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY.

JUST A BLESSING.

AND I TRIED TO DO THE SAME THING WITH MY KIDDO.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT THE DISTRICT, TALK TO ME ABOUT THE DISTRICT AND WHAT YOU HEARD FROM VOTERS.

>> I HAVE A REALLY COOL DISTRICT.

MY DISTRICT IS SUBURBAN AND A LITTLE URBAN.

WE HAVE AN ARRAY OF HOME OWNERSHIP, WE HAVE PREMANUFACTURED HOMES TO HOMES THAT ARE PROBABLY SOME OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE IN THE STATE.

>> Mary: I WOULD SAY, REALLY, ONE OF THE MORE DIVERSE DISTRICTS ON EVERY SCALE, ECONOMICS, HOMES, RACIALLY DIVERSE.

YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES.

HOW TO OU HANDLE ALL HAT?

>> I'M EXCITED.

I'M KIND OF -- I DON'T WANT TO SAY I'M AN EXTRAVERT BECAUSE I'M NOT, BUT I'M NOT AN INTROVERT.

I LOVE THE SOCIAL ASPECT, I LOVE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER.

>> Mary: SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL, FROM SCHOOL BOARD TO WORKING FOR A CITY.

HOW OES THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE REALLY HELP YOU HIT THE GROUND UNNING AT THE STATE LEVEL?

>> I HAVE ALSO BEEN ON TWO BOARDS, APPOINTED BY TWO DIFFERENT GOVERNORS.

AND THE REASON I'M BRINGING THAT UP IS THAT I'VE DEALT WITH A LOT OF POLICY.

I WAS ON THE BOARD OF TEACHING, AND ON THE BOARD OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.

>> Mary: MUCH HAS BEEN MADE ABOUT THE RECORD AMOUNT OF DIVERSITY COMING INTO THE CAPITOL AND SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE YOU GET GOVERNMENT, THE LAYERS THAT THE HOUSE IS BUILT IN THAT DIVERSITY ISN'T COMPARTMENT MENTALLIZED BUT IT'S KIND OF SYSTEMIC THROUGH THE ENTIRE COMMITTEE APPROACH.

WHAT ARE YOU SEEING IN TERMS OF HOW DIVERSITY'S BEING HANDLED IN THE LEGISLATURE?

>> I THINK IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL BECAUSE, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S A VISUAL.

IT THE CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AROUND IT.

AND ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, MINNESOTA'S DONE A LOT OF GROWTH, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD.

THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE MORE NATURAL OR OKAY TO HAVE.

SO I THINK WITH THAT AND WITH MAKING POLICIES AND KEEPING THE VIEW OF EQUITY WITH ALL OUR DECISIONS WE'LL BE OKAY.

AND WHEN I SAY THAT, I'M NOT JUST TALKING EDUCATION, I'M TALKING ENVIRONMENTAL OR, YOU KNOW, JUST USTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE, EVERY DECISION IF IT'S MADE THROUGH THE VIEW OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION, WE'LL BE OKAY.

>> Mary: NOW THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY THE ELECTED OFFICIAL WITH THE NAME PLATE ON THE DOOR, WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU ABOUT BEING THERE?

>> I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS.

[ Laughter ] NO, ACTUALLY, JUST UNDERSTANDING THE DEPTH.

RIGHT NOW I HAVE, LIKE, SEVEN DIFFERENT IDEAS THAT I WANT TO DEVELOP INTO POSSIBLE BILLS.

BUT THE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT THAT IS HERE AND A LOT OF IT IS BIPARTISAN, WHICH IT NEEDS TO BE.

ANOTHER THING THAT SURPRISED ME IS PROBABLY THE VOLUME OF EMAILS THAT I'M GETTING.

>> Mary: IT'S A LOT.

>> YEAH.

AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I REALLY WANT TO KEEP ON TOP