Video: Melissa Richmond thought she’d lost out on a career in politics after an encounter with former congressman Trent Franks (R-Ariz.). Now she works for a nonpartisan group that helps women start political careers.(Kate Woodsome, Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post)
I’ve always been proud of the ways I’m independent. So when a middle-aged man stopped me in a parking garage and asked me to jump-start his car several years ago, I was happy to help. As we worked to get his car running, we talked. I mentioned I was a first-year law school student who had worked in politics.