Ashley Baia

March 2007 Meeting: FSU Student Ashley Baia of Florida College Democrats Addresses Club

When Ashley Baia was 9, she told her mother she loved relish and mustard sandwiches. She knew her family could not afford better.
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Marie and Ashley Baia's story resonates these days.
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The culmination of that speech dealt with Ashley Baia, now 24 and a regional field director for the Obama campaign in Richmond, Va.
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"All those nights I thought she didn't hear me cry, she did," Marie says of Ashley.
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At Venice High School, Ashley Baia was an above-average student who played basketball and made the homecoming court in 2001-02, her senior year. She attended Valencia Community College in Orlando and planned to work in film production.
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At the University of South Florida-Sarasota/Manatee, Ashley joined College Democrats of Florida and became vice president in 2006.

She volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Ashley and Marie Baia helped collect toys, clothing, books and Christmas gifts for Biloxi, Miss.
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Later, Ashley cleared debris with Habitat in New Orleans.

In May 2007, just after school ended, Ashley joined the Obama primary campaign in South Carolina. There, she and other young people worked long hours for little pay, recruiting voters in predominantly black neighborhoods.

To build rapport with volunteers and potential supporters, community organizers like Baia were encouraged to tell why they supported the campaign.

At one such gathering, an older black man said, "I am here because of Ashley."

One of the campaign's top aides, who heard the tribute, relayed it to Obama.

Word of Ashley's celebrity filtered out.
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If anything, Ashley Baia is working even longer hours in the campaign's hectic final days. When it's over she has one thing on her mind: "Rest," she says.

The event, sponsored by the USF Democrats and Republicans, was originally planned for April 13, but was rescheduled, said Ashley Baia, member of the USF Democrats and one of the event organizers.About 30 people attended.

"We wanted to bring this to the community so they could learn what the candidates are all about," said Baia.

Ashley Baia Former President

Ashley Baia, who is currently the president of the College Democrats for USF Sarasota-Manatee, will serve as the vice president for the statewide organization.

If you are interested in going as a student, Ashley Baia, the president of the USF College Democrats, can be reached at USFCollegeDems@aol.com.
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For several days next month, Ashley Baia, Josalyn Riedler and Christina Boltin will don hard hats with former vice presidential candidate John Edwards and members of Habitat for Humanity to help repair and rebuild homes in New Orleans.
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Baia, Riedler and Boltin, all students at USF Sarasota-Manatee, will work eight hours a day to assist in gutting destroyed structures, hauling trash, removing debris, mixing cement, pouring foundations and building homes.