Maya Anderson

By Jacob Ogles

is barely old enough to vote. But she’s already making a mark on the po-

The 19-year-old worked Joe Biden and managed call time for Maxwell Alejanand for former . Her résumé included internships with state lawmakers, volunteer hours with the Florida Democratic Party and finance drudgery with statewide political committees.

“I love the feeling like I can make a difference in something I know a lot about and feel passionate about,” Anderson said. “I just see all the ways I can help Floridians in their everyday lives.” The potential for impact became clear when Anderson worked as an intern for state Rep. Anna Eskamani during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. At a time when many people were losing their jobs without notice, she helped individuals secure benefits through the state.

“We did a lot of help escalating cases with the Department of Economic Opportunity, helping people regardless of their political stance and who they voted for,” she recalled.

That taught her the value of making sure to elect people of integrity into public office, characteristics she sees as more valuable than ideology.

Meanwhile, she’s rapidly developed a love for campaign finance. Before managing call time for a congressional and gubernatorial campaign in 2022, she worked for Eskamani’s political committee on the fundraising side.

“It’s something I do care about and find really exciting,” she said, “and something a lot of other people would find very mundane.”

Despite her age, Anderson expects to graduate this summer from Florida State University, earning her bachelor’s degree in political science before she’s old enough to legally buy a drink. She came to campus with plenty of credits under her belt earned in high school.

Already on the fast track for life, Anderson has a summer internship lined up in Washington working for Grassroots Analytics, that could give her a taste of national politics. “Florida will always be the state I am most passionate about, but I want to help anywhere I can make a difference,” she said.

Her ambitions remain behind the scenes, at least for now. She wants a job working on campaigns but is happy to man the books instead of appearing on the ballot.

“I don’t think I want to run for office,” she said. “I feel weird when people have running for office as their No. 1 aspiration. There are so many other things you can do to make a difference.”