, no matter their income. One of the most gratifying moments of my career happened recently when I watched students in our schools being served meals without regard to their ability to pay.
This issue is deeply personal to me. While I'm now a lieutenant governor, I was once just a Native kid growing up in St. Louis Park, Minn. I was the kid who relied on free and reduced-price lunch at school. And I was raised by my mom who utilized Minnesota's, which allowed her to go back to school and earn her degree in phlebotomy. These public programs helped us survive, and ultimately, thrive.
In Minnesota, we are investing in the people who support our state. I would not be in the position I am today without the benefits and paid time off I received from my employer when I gave birth to my daughter. This paid leave was crucial to my health and daughter's future. Since then, from my time at the Children's Defense Fund to now as lieutenant governor, I have been fighting to ensure every Minnesotan is afforded this time off.