I wasn’t a supporter of President Obama in 2008. I didn’t go to any phone banks or attend any rallies, and there was one simple reason for that: I was a Republican.

Raised in Orange County in a staunchly Republican family, naturally I became very involved in GOP politics. By the end of my junior year in college, I had volunteered on a Republican campaign and interned twice for a Republican member of Congress. Those experiences were meant to be stepping stones toward my dream job: a political career in Washington, D.C. working for a GOP Congressman. But after working so hard for Republicans for so long, I came to a very humbling realization – I had been fighting for the wrong side the entire time.

Last summer, it finally struck me how much this administration’s policies helped me as a young woman in her college years. From student loan reform to the Affordable Care Act, I have benefited tremendously from the work of President Obama. I re-registered as a Democrat and soon after, jumped at the chance to work for Obama as an organizing fellow with the campaign. I have been volunteering ever since. My nine months with the campaign have been exhilarating and rewarding, and I will continue to be involved through Election Day. I know what the consequences could be if President Obama is not re-elected, and the stakes are too high for me to sit on the sideline.

Four years ago, I never would have thought I would be supporter of President Obama, much less a volunteer on his campaign, but I now understand how much the President has fought for me, even when I wasn’t fighting for him. In the next four years, there are a lot of important decisions that will be made to make sure the country keeps moving forward. President Obama is the person I want making those decisions.

Join new Democrats like me and help re-elect President Obama by volunteering today.