Paula Swift: a journey of resilience and leadership
- Every Media Productions
- May 5
- 7 min read
An educator and advocate shaped by personal loss and resilience, Dr. Paula Swift is a determined leader who has turned her experiences into a commitment to drive change.
Dr. Paula Swift is an educator, advocate and mother who turned a journey of personal tragedy into a mission for public service. Raised in California’s working-class community, she built a career in diversity, equity, and inclusion, while advocating for vulnerable children and families. With a doctorate from USC, Paula also led her own consulting firm and taught at the university level.
Her decision to run for U.S. Congress in California’s 40th District stems from a deep desire to serve, born from her own experience surviving domestic violence and losing a child. Paula is committed to fighting for everyday people, focusing on issues like housing, healthcare, and safety. Her campaign is more than a political bid—it's a movement to empower communities and ensure their voices are heard.
In the following interview, Dr. Paula Swift shares how her life experiences shaped her mission, the values behind her advocacy, and her vision for the future.
Hi Paula, what’s your background and what led you to where you are today?
I am Dr. Paula Swift — a mother, wife, educator, advocate, and a proud product of California’s working-class community. My journey to becoming a candidate for U.S. Representative for California’s 40th Congressional District didn’t begin in politics — it began in survival, service, and an unwavering commitment to people.
I was born and raised in California, shaped by a loving, traditional two-parent household where hard work, education, and service to others weren’t just values but expectations. My parents instilled in me and my sisters a deep belief that education was a path to opportunity and a responsibility to give back. I earned a Master’s in Communication Management and a Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from USC. It’s also why I built a career helping organizations become more inclusive, equitable, and human-centered.
But my path hasn’t been without profound pain and unimaginable loss. Years ago, I survived a horrific act of domestic violence when my then-husband took the life of our 4-year-old child in an attempted murder-suicide. That tragedy changed everything. I know what it feels like to fight through grief, trauma, and despair — and I know what it takes to rebuild your life from nothing. That experience gave me a clarity of purpose: to be a voice for those often unheard and turn my pain into power for change.
Professionally, I became the CEO of my consulting firm, working with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and community organizations to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. I have spent over 20 years advocating for children in foster care, working alongside families, foster agencies, and local governments to ensure that vulnerable children don’t fall through the cracks. I’ve also taught communication and leadership at the university level because I believe that the next generation deserves both knowledge and mentorship.
My lived experience—as a survivor, a mother, an educator, and an advocate—is what led me here today. I’m not a career politician. I’m a working mother who knows what it feels like to struggle with childcare, housing, healthcare, and safety. I know that when the government forgets about everyday people, lives are at risk—I’ve lived that reality.
That’s why I’m running to represent California’s 40th Congressional District. Because this community deserves a leader who sees them, hears them, and fights for them — not just in words, but in action. My story is not typical, but neither are the challenges facing our communities. I believe our pain can fuel our purpose, and I’m ready to turn my story into service for the people of this district.
What does your city or community mean to you, both personally and professionally?
Southern California isn’t just where I live — it’s who I am. It’s the backdrop of my story, the foundation of my values, and the heartbeat of everything I stand for. Growing up and building my life in Southern California has shaped how I see the world — and more importantly — how I show up in it.
Southern California is a place of incredible beauty and diversity, but it’s also a place of grit, hustle, and heart. It’s where working-class families, immigrants, dreamers, entrepreneurs, and everyday people come together to build lives rooted in hope and hard work. It’s where culture meets community, and where challenges are met with resilience and creativity.
Personally, this region has taught me what it means to survive and thrive. I’ve experienced both the promise and the pain that can come with living here — from the opportunities that come with education and innovation to the struggles around housing costs, economic inequality, and public safety. These aren’t just policy issues to me — they are lived experiences. They are the stories of my neighbors, my friends, my family — and my own story, too.
Professionally, Southern California is where I built my career advocating for people whose voices often go unheard — children in foster care, working families, survivors of domestic violence, and everyday people just trying to make ends meet. It’s where I’ve worked alongside community organizations, local leaders, and businesses to foster equity, inclusion, and access to opportunity. Every lesson I’ve learned has come from being deeply connected to this community.
And that’s exactly why I’m running to represent California’s 40th Congressional District. Because this district reflects the very soul of Southern California — its diversity, its challenges, its triumphs, and its untapped potential. The people of this district deserve a representative who understands both the beauty and the burden of what it means to live here — someone who sees them, hears them, and is ready to fight for them.
Southern California made me who I am — and I’m ready to serve with that same spirit of perseverance, compassion, and bold action on behalf of California’s 40th Congressional District.
Can you describe a moment in your journey when you felt truly tested and how you handled it?
One of the most defining and challenging moments in my journey came during the COVID-19 pandemic, which tested me in ways I never anticipated.
Like many families across Southern California and throughout this country, I was directly impacted by the economic fallout of COVID-19 when my position was eliminated due to pandemic-related budget cuts. Losing my job wasn’t just a professional setback but a deeply personal challenge. I faced the same uncertainty and fear many in our community experienced: How do I provide for my family? What comes next? What happens when the plan you thought you had for your life suddenly disappears?
But that moment of loss became a turning point.
Rather than allow that experience to defeat me, I chose to pivot. I leaned into the skills, passion, and purpose that had guided me throughout my career and launched my consulting firm — Paula Swift Consulting — focused on helping organizations create more inclusive, equitable, and human-centered workplaces. At the same time, I decided to return to school and pursue my Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California because I believed that sharpening my skills and expanding my knowledge would allow me to lead and serve more effectively.
What kind of impact do you hope your work has on others?
At the heart of everything I do, whether as a mother, educator, advocate, or candidate for Congress, my greatest hope is that my work reminds people that they matter and that their voices deserve to be heard.
I want my story and my work to inspire people—especially those who have been marginalized, overlooked, or counted out—to believe in their own power. I want people to see that no matter what life throws at you—loss, setbacks, or uncertainty—you can rise, pivot, and create something extraordinary out of your pain, passion, and purpose.
I am especially committed to reaching women, working families, survivors of trauma, and young people who feel like the system wasn’t built for them—because in many ways, it wasn’t. I hope my work shows them that leadership doesn’t always look like what we’ve been told. Leadership looks like resilience, compassion, showing up authentically, fighting for what’s right, and never forgetting where you came from.
Through my work, whether in the boardroom, the classroom, the community, or Capitol Hill, I want to build bridges, expand opportunities, and create policies that help people live with dignity and hope. I want people to feel seen, heard, and valued — not just in times of crisis but every single day.
Ultimately, I hope the impact of my work leaves people feeling empowered, knowing that their story matters, their voice matters, and their future is worth fighting for. I truly believe that when everyday people have access to opportunity, resources, and leaders who care, there is nothing we can’t overcome together.
What’s on the horizon for you?
What’s on the horizon for me is one of my life's most exciting and purpose-driven chapters — serving the people of California’s 40th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.
Currently, I focus on running a campaign rooted in community, authenticity, and real solutions. This isn’t just about winning an election — it’s about building a movement that brings everyday people back to the center of our politics. I’m motivated daily by the stories of working families, single parents, small business owners, students, and seniors in our district who deserve leadership that sees and serves them.
Beyond this campaign, I am committed to continuing my lifelong advocacy and empowerment work. I look forward to creating legislation that addresses the issues closest to my heart and personal journey — economic security for working families, protections for survivors of domestic violence, access to affordable healthcare, equity in education, and creating pathways to homeownership and financial stability.
Personally, I’m also passionate about continuing to mentor and uplift the next generation of leaders—especially young women of color—who may not see themselves reflected in traditional politics but absolutely belong at every decision-making table.
Every chapter of my life, from surviving personal tragedy to losing my job during the pandemic to launching my consulting firm and earning my doctorate, has prepared me for this moment. And what’s on the horizon for me is clear: serving with heart, leading with integrity, and fighting for a future where every voice in California’s 40th District has power, dignity, and opportunity.
This is bigger than politics — it’s personal. And I’m ready.
Connect with Paula Swift
About the author
Fábio Borges is an award-winning international journalist and the founder of Every Media Productions. Since 1996, he has reported from the Americas, Europe, and Asia, producing over 4,000 news stories.
About Every Media Productions
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