When you hear the phrase “the future of politics,” they’re talking about people like Avra Reddy. At just 19, this Illinois-native University of Wisconsin-Madison student has become the first woman in 26 years—and the first woman of color—to represent District 8 on Madison’s City Council. And like many women who’ve sought to be the first, she faced sexism and doubt along the way. Here, she talks about the women who helped pull her through and the steps to take to follow in her footsteps.