Joy Hollingsworth ’02 is an activist, a small business owner, and the recently elected city councilmember for District 3. Hollingsworth said that the most influential part of her Prep education was spirituality. “The spirituality that Jesuits have and that they integrate into all the classes. That sense of love for your neighbor, community, and God has transitioned to service for the city,” she stated.
During her time at Prep, Hollingsworth played on the girls’ basketball team and led them to their first ever state championship in 2002. She emphasized the importance of the role of previous players and coaches who helped build the girls’ basketball program. “They were always mentors to us and laid the groundwork for our team,” Hollingsworth said.
Hollingsworth detailed the impact her basketball coach, Coach Michelle Hall, had on her, by saying, “She would always talk about being good stewards of the school. She wanted us to be good humans on the court, in the classroom, and everywhere we went.”
She also named former Prep priest Father Fitterer as someone who had an influence on her. “He always talked about faith and staying positive, staying rooted in the work,” Hollingsworth said.
Outside of Prep, Hollingsworth was an active participant in music and the arts. She also competed in oratory contests, to which she attributes much of her success. Hollingsworth notes that as a politician, “you have to be ready to speak at the drop of the dime and be able to articulate things in a certain way. It is really important how much public speaking has played a part in my life, and I really attribute it to the oratory that I did as a kid.”
Hollingsworth was drawn to politics when she noticed a shift in the political world. She believed that she could bring a more equal and aware outlook to government. “We were not being good role models as adults. We displayed behaviors of yelling and saying unkind things to people. We were being stagnant, and I thought I could offer a different perspective,” Hollingsworth stated.
While campaigning for city council, she focused especially on connecting with voters face-to-face, whether that be by knocking on doors or going to local events. Describing her efforts, Hollingsworth said, “I knew that if we were able to reach as many people as possible by being face to face, we could be accessible and that is what was important.”
As for her main campaigning points, Hollingsworth focused on what she calls the three C’s: community, culture, and commerce. “I grew up in a Seattle where that was represented perfectly. We were so heavily embedded in the culture.”
Part of creating that sense of community comes from listening to what young people have to say. When she spoke with a group of 6th and 7th graders, she reflected that “it was enlightening to hear their perspective and how smart they were about local politics and how it affected them.”
Now that she is on the city council, Hollingsworth hopes to bring back vital funding for local youth programs. Many families rely on local community centers and parks for activities for their children. “Those programs have been underfunded, and we really need more investment in our youth.”
Another key issue she wants to address is improving public safety for the city. When discussing what she hears from constituents, Hollingsworth observed that “people don’t feel safe, and they feel unsafe to tell us they are unsafe. I want us to approach it with a mindset that community safety is the baseline of a functioning government.”
Hollingsworth believes that she can accomplish these goals with the help of her peers on the council. She explains that many politicians simply focus on their image, and not finding a real solution. However, she understands that it will take real teamwork to accomplish their goals. “A lot of the people I’m around are workhorses, they want to work and get the job done.”
She notes how easy it is to just complain about an issue, instead of actually finding a solution. “The difference is that you can complain about it, or you can have actionable items to fix the problem.” Her advice to young people? “Be a part of the solution.”
