I felt the calling to serve my country. My parents came to the United States from Mexico and Colombia, and this country treated them well. It gave my sisters and me the opportunity to get an education and succeed. I wanted to repay my country for how they treated my family and ensure that our values and freedom are intact for future generations.

Our economic strength at home is key to our diplomatic and military strength abroad. We should be investing far more in education as well as our technological and economic development so that we have the resources to support our foreign policy.

There is an undeniable economic and cultural disconnect between many of those who volunteer to serve and those who choose to remain civilians. But what is more concerning to me is the disconnect between our political leadership that applauds our soldiers and veterans, but then won't provide funding to properly armored vehicles or health care when our servicemen and women come home. You can't send men and women to war without being prepared to take care of them abroad and give them the services they need when they return home.

Tom Perez is really bringing in the labor aspect of the Democratic Party, a group of voters that need to get back, also Latinos. You know, he is the first Latino DNC chair in the history of Democratic Party, a growing demographic that really over performed last time.

I felt the calling to serve my country. My parents came to the United States from Mexico and Colombia, and this country treated them well. It gave my sisters and me the opportunity to get an education and succeed. I wanted to repay my country for how they treated my family and ensure that our values and freedom are intact for future generations.