New Lenox District 122 Board Candidate Samantha Gasca: Election '23

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Name: Samantha Gasca

Age as of Election Day: 35

Town/city of residence: New Lenox

School district: New Lenox District 122

Family: Hi there! This is a somewhat difficult question as I oftentimes feel the assumption is I am married or have children; however, I have neither. I simply care very much about children as I grew up being severely abused sexually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. For this reason, I became somewhat of a child advocate. I am now a pastoral counselor who works with children and adults who’ve been through similar traumas. As far as family, I have a BIG one. I am so grateful for them, including my mom. A few others of mention, I have a boyfriend who absolutely amazing. He is the best man I’ve ever known. He is patient, kind, caring, gentle, loving, and a true man of God. I have a 1-year-old Chocolate Lab puppy named Calum who has a heart of gold, but jaws of steel and at 104 lbs, he destroys everything! Please feel free to say hi because he is always on the campaign trail with me!

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? To my present knowledge or understanding, I have no relatives who neither work in the government I am running for, nor in the government at large.

Education: I am proudly a product of District 122. I was born and raised in New Lenox and graduated in 2005 from LincolnWay Central High School. I have a Bachelor’s of Science from Illinois State University, double majoring in Agriculture and Food Industry Science. I have a Master of Science from Illinois State University in Agriculture with a focus in Animal Science and a concentration in Swine Nutrition and Behavior. I attended Texas A&M University from 2012-2015 in the Animal Science PhD program with a focus in Meat Science/Beef Cattle Nutrition, spending the first year of my PhD program in a cloning/Molecular Biology lab. I completed all tasks for my PhD with the exception of my dissertation; therefore, my PhD is incomplete. I left my PhD program to pursue a career in ministry. I have a second Master’s Degree from Moody Bible Institute/Moody Theological Seminary as a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Studies.

Occupation: I am a small business owner and I work for Moody Radio (Christian Talk Radio) as a Data Analyst to substitute my income as I am growing my business. My small business, God Heard LLC, is one where I contract my Pastoral Counseling services to a Christian Counseling center.

Campaign website: www.SamanthaGasca.com

Previous or current elected or appointed office: N/A

The most pressing issues facing our (board, district, etc.) are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them. I feel this question might be answered as we walk through this forum; however I will say that our board has done a great job throughout the years. Our community has great schools and it shows.

There is always room for improvement, and I believe this can be achieved in several areas, but not limited to:

-Putting the needs of children first (politics aside)
-Prioritizing mental health as subsidies rayed in children loom
-Listening intently to the needs of parents and taxpayers
-Ensuring efficient use and good stewardship of hard-earned taxpayer contributions
-Making use of current technological resources to skyrocket student literacy scores
-Making sure our salaries are stewarded well across the district
-Making sure people are accountable and decisions are held accountable

I intend to be somewhat of an overseer. I will stand up for what is right, and intervene when necessary. I intend to walk with integrity and uphold myself with grace and dignity.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? I would say first and foremost, I unashamedly and unabashedly love the Lord Jesus with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

I believe in standing up for what I believe in no matter what/in the face of adversity, doing the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing, standing up to bullies, cheering for the underdog, being “no nonsense,” telling it like I see it (but with kindness and grace — I catch more flies with honey), knowing when it is a good time to keep quiet and listen, I try to live by cowboy code of honor (recall I spent 10 years of my life working in the Agriculture industry), speaking truth in love yet having enough respect to be direct, and being someone who strives to create unity, yet does not tolerate disrespect, unkindness, rudeness, or hatefulness.

I’m not quite sure how different that makes me from others, but it does make me, “me.”

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district? This question to me comes across as divisive, as I feel the current board has done an excellent job in many ways. As with anything, there is always room for improvement.

Maybe we can position this in a different light… I feel improvement can be sought in the following areas:

-Math/Science/Reading literacy scores - we used to be Blue Ribbon Schools
-Parental rights/parental voices matter (listening to parents with compassion)
- Taxpayer rights— your voice also matters— you pay your equal share of taxes and you deserve to be heard
- Protecting vulnerable minds and prioritizing mental health (we no longer have school counselors yet suicide rates are skyrocketing and school shootings are being normalized)
- Quality education and technology
- School safety for our children
- Efficient use of funds, lower taxes, and tax rebates

I want to be clear. It is not that I am saying these things were not previously considered by the board; I am not on the board so I do not know the mind of neither the board nor the members. All I can say is from my perspective, this is where I would like to focus my efforts.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Other issues that might define my campaign platform that were not discussed herein that may be considered are as follows:

-I will consider fighting/lobbying for tax rebates
-I will fight implement more mental health resources
-I will fight to implement more drug/alcohol prevention/awareness resources and places for children to go when they are struggling with these issues
-I will fight for literacy in math, science, and especially reading/comprehension
-I will fight for what is right in the face of adversity

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I spent 14 years in college, have 3 small businesses, work for Moody Radio, and most importantly, I work in ministry.

On a daily basis, I work with people in domestic violence situations, people who’ve been raped, in gang-related situations, people with disabilities, people who have lost children, children who are being physically abused by their parents to the point of bruises and bleeding, etc.

In the last 6 months, my best friend’s husband was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer (which means we are dealing with doctors, sadness, and fears), my cousin (who I was close with) died of a heart attack at 47, my father has threatened to sue me for telling the truth about my testimony, I am facing many health issues, I have faced harsh racism over my heritage, and people close to me have cut off relationships over standing up for what is right.

Adversity is like a refining fire. It siphons off the impurities in our character and strengthens our resolve. It can draw us closer to the Lord, and where I am weak, there He is strong. My life has required a strength that is beyond me. I will admit I feel weak most times, but others see joy as the joy of the Lord is my strength.

I am willing and ready to do what it takes to serve this community with a firm resolve and a love for children that only God can provide.

Why should voters trust you? I’m not sure I should tell anyone to trust me unless I’ve earned that privilege. I would say I’m not hard to find on the internet. I’ve done quite a bit of public speaking on my testimony and I’m honest/transparent, and try to be authentic/genuine in talking about my testimony, so my background and where I’ve come from is no secret. I had to hide the abuse I endured for too many years so I don’t believe in secrecy. Honestly I don’t want anyone’s vote unless they believe I have earned it. I do not want someone to scroll down the ballot and check a mark for the sake of checking a mark.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success? If I win this position, the accomplishment that would make my term in office a success would be to serve God and my community well. I would like to be known as someone who listens to the concerns of others, has the humility to take advice, and works hard to do the right thing in the face of adversity. If I stand up for what I believe while communicating with firmness and grace, I will feel I’ve done my job well.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking? If I am being completely transparent, I feel we overburden taxpayers, while not being sure we are stewarding our resources in a way that would honor the sacrifice and hard work of taxpayers.

What are your thoughts on how the district has handled the COVID-19 pandemic? I feel the district had a lot of unexpected challenges to work with (to put it extremely minimally— who can be prepared for such a thing?). I don’t want to answer like a politician, but I also think we need to exercise caution in judgment. As mature and wise peoples, we need also to exercise grace and understanding. Could things have been managed “better?” Yes, however hindsight is 20/20, and I think it is quite simple to judge when the pressure of the world (e.g., the state, the community, conflicting opinions, etc.) are not on our back. As an astute point, it might be wise to be kind and gentle towards passionate parents and community members as it is their children’s’ lives that are being impacted most. A gentle answer turns away wrath.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some school boards saw extremely heated disagreements during public meetings. If elected, what changes, if any, need to be made to ensure meetings are run efficiently while still allowing open discussions? I can say that I do not tolerate nonsense. I am not on the side of any individual; I am on the side of what is right. I don’t tolerate rudeness, hatefulness, yelling, brashness, or harsh accusations from anyone. We are adults and we must conduct ourselves with grace and respect. There is always a way to get our points across and communicate effectively with love. I’ve been on boards and started ministries where I’ve had to mediate and I strive to create unity. I am not afraid to correct anyone- I am not concerned about how educated someone is, or how “great” someone is… no one is above correction. But correction must be done with love and respect.

How do you feel about sex education being taught in school? Should an LGBTQ component be included, and why or why not? I feel all moral issues should be decided by parents as it pertains to how it is communicated to their children.

Of course a basic sex education may be included in schools (e.g., basic physiology, and expectations of bodily functions); however, when it comes to matters of opinion, it is of my opinion that it is not up to schools to interfere in that. Many times schools are pressured by the state to implement these components by being offered more money for their district, but we must have or eyes opened as to why this is happening. The more we include these components, the easier it will be to manipulate children as adults. And why does the state want our children to be easily manipulated?

This is absolutely wrong and as a candidate, I am 100% against adding an LGBTQ+ component to sex education in schools.

What are your views on critical race theory and whether it should be taught in the district?

I am 100% against critical race theory. I think it is absolutely wrong due to it having a root of manipulation. It’s not only about the theory itself, which has so many holes and inconsistencies in and of itself, but also about why it is being implemented. At its root, is a manipulation tactic; those who adamantly fight against this truth are fighting to cover it up and distract from the truth. It should absolutely not be taught in our district.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so? As in everything, there is always room for improvement. I work with kids in the inner city, and maybe we could work something out where we work with helping kids understand one another in these different environments.

When it comes to student achievement, what are schools within this district doing well and what needs to be improved? How can those improvements be made? No answer provided.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family? I cannot think of any reason I would not serve my full term in office other than those of health and family.

The best advice ever shared with me was ____________:

This might be the most difficult question of all! I’ve been gifted with so much great advice that it is impossible to narrow down to one thing so I will share a few:

1. I grew up going to church every week, but I came home being abused daily, so I thought the church was a bunch of hypocrites. When one of my brothers got Leukemia, I ended up making a lot of bad decisions, but one of my professors at Texas A&M got a hold of me and told me to ask God if Jesus was real. He said there was no harm in asking. So I did that, and here I am almost 10 years later, a pastor.
2. Steve Earle once said, you can either get through life, or you can live it. And if you want to live it, you only need two things: an inquisitive mind and a fearless heart.
3. Follow the Cowboy code of honor and you’ll be just fine