Westwood's Alyssa Dawson, 24, Running For Borough Council

WESTWOOD, NJ — Alyssa Dawson is just 24 years old, but she is trying to make a difference in her hometown in a way most people her age wouldn't.

Dawson, a registered Republican, is running alongside two-term incumbent Ray Arroyo in this year's municipal council election. Incumbent Councilman Peter Grefrath decided not to run for re-election.

“This town is extraordinarily special and I want nothing more to use my voice and passion to better this community and the lives of all residents,” Dawson said in her election announcement. “It is my wish that the opportunities and experiences afforded to me throughout my childhood and into my adulthood are carried on for years to come.”

If elected, Dawson would be the youngest elected woman official in New Jersey. Sarah Neibart, a Mendham Township Committeewoman, is the youngest.

Dawson is a third-generation and lifelong Westwood resident.

“I really just want to give back," Dawson said. "With the current status of millennials leaving New Jersey, as a millennial, I’m choosing to stay and keep New Jersey a place where I can raise a family."

Dawson is a graduate of Concordia College in New York. She received her bachelor's degree in history and worked in then-Governor Christie’s Office of Constituent Relations. She took calls from residents about everything from combatting opioid abuse to veterans not being able to afford healthcare, Dawson said.

“It opened my eyes to all of the problems going on here in New Jersey,” she said.

Dawson worked for former Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno when she ran against Phil Murphy for the governorship last year. She now works for Evergreen Partners, a public relations firm in Somerset County.

Dawson first real attachment to Westwood came when she was 16 at a procession for Sgt. Christopher Hrbek in January 2010.

Hrbek, 25 and a Marine and a volunteer firefighter, was killed earlier that month in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. She stood in front of the Iron House, the streets lined with American flags, and tears running down everyone's faces as Hrbek's body was given a hero's welcome home.

“That day not only signified Sgt. Hrbek’s unimaginable sacrifice and the heartbreak that pierced the hearts of our Westwood family, but even greater, the strength and character of our small town shown through like a light in the darkest of times,” Dawson said. “That chilly January day changed my perception of the fragility of life, what it means to be a Westwood resident, and most of all, what it means to be an American.”

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Photo: Alyssa Dawson (courtesy of Alyssa Dawson)