When One Door Closes...

I admire people who don’t back down when the rug is pulled from under their feet, and Itir Cole is one of those people. She had a good job with the federal government, one that made her feel proud of what she was contributing. But, with the new Administration, her job changed overnight into something she couldn’t stand behind, so she had the guts to walk away. No backup plan, no next chapter lined up, just the strength to say, “This isn’t right for me anymore.”

What inspires me even more is what she did next. Her husband happened to mention there was no one her age or with her life experience running for the open seat on their New Jersey town's governing body. She had no plan to run for office, but when no one else stepped up, she did. No political machine, no major donors—just her, a handful of neighbors, and a deep belief that someone like her needed to be at the table. She commented, "I couldn't let go of the fact that … there's no woman with a young family juggling responsibilities of professional life and family life. So I thought, Okay, I will do it."

This is what I love most about stories like hers: they remind us that courage doesn’t always come with a spotlight. Sometimes it's printing flyers in your living room or knocking on doors, even though you're an introvert. But this is how change happens. Because when one door closes, another doesn’t just open—you build it yourself. And maybe even hold it open for someone else.

Read more about Itir’s journey from government employee to elected official in this USA Today article.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/30/itir-cole-elected-...