On Monday at 10 a.m., David Blom, Brett Barker, and I will be sworn in to the 91st General Assembly. The ceremony is open to the public, and also will be live streamed at https://www.legis.iowa.gov. I’ve been reflecting on my journey to this moment.

In January of 2020, I visited the Iowa State Capitol as a chaperone on my daughter’s elementary school field trip. I have a vivid memory of standing in the beautiful stairway, surrounded by inspiring art and quotations, and thinking, “I would like to work here someday.” At the time, it seemed crazy, and I pushed it out of my mind. After all, I was working remotely as a Sr. Vice President of Product Development & Data Insights, leading a national team of data analysts. We were helping Verizon Wireless develop and market their dedicated network solution for first responders and public safety agencies. At home, I was a busy soccer mom, leading our girls’ American Heritage Girls troop and teaching Sunday school.

Then COVID happened, and everyone’s priorities changed. Eventually, I decided to leave my private sector job and seek ways to invest more in my local community. I started mentoring and substitute teaching in public schools, and after seeing the extensive mental health needs in our youth, took a job as the Chief Development Officer for YSS.

Fast forward to January of 2023, and I was back at the Iowa State Capitol, seated in the upstairs gallery of the House Chamber for the Governor’s Condition of the State address. I was there on behalf of YSS, seated beside Karly and Andrew, siblings who had recently graduated from the YSS addiction treatment program. Governor Reynolds explained that their shared battle against substance use disorder is all too familiar for families struggling through the opioid epidemic. She proposed combining the 32 different substance-use and mental-health regions together into seven new, unified behavioral health districts (which passed last session) and increasing support for behavioral-health services with a portion of Iowa’s opioid settlement funds (which will likely be addressed this session). Governor Reynolds also allocated ARPA funds to assist with the construction of Ember Recovery Campus, a new 70 bed youth behavioral health facility in Story County.

Now here we are in January of 2024. Last Tuesday, YSS’s Ember Recovery Campus opened and the first boys and girls from all over Iowa moved into the stunning cabins on the 50-acre nature-based campus, ready to pursue their recovery journey like Karly and Andrew did. And this Tuesday, I will be one of the state senators to escort Governor Kim Reynolds into the House Chamber to deliver her Condition of the State Address. This time, rather than sitting upstairs in the gallery, I’ll be on the floor as your newly sworn in state senator. It’s all a bit surreal, and an honor and opportunity I don’t take lightly. I’d like to again thank you for the chance to represent you in Des Moines and be your voice as we get started this legislative session.

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Kara Warme, a Republican from Ames,

is the Senator Elect in District 26, which covers all of Marshall and much of Story County.