Dynamic Alum Drew Phelps Running for State Assembly (Click here to read more)

Young and dynamic are just a couple of adjectives that describe Drew Phelps, San Joaquin Memorial alum (Class of 2012). Other words would be kind, caring, passionate, innovative, service-oriented, trustworthy and the list goes on and on. These special qualities and more have catapulted this young man into the political arena; he is currently running for a seat in the State Assembly representing District 26 Tulare County.

Drew proudly credits his student experience at Memorial into shaping him both personally and professionally. “I had so many great classes and teachers at SJM. I love them all, but US History with Mr. Borges and Literature with Mrs. Sani were two of my favorites,” said Drew. “I’d be remiss to not mention others though, particularly Ms. Teixeira, Mr. Williams, Mr. Danks-Ferguson, Ms. Frye, Ms. Campbell, and Mr. Eckman. I know there are many I’m forgetting, but I love you all!” 

He was a pretty typical high school kid, Drew recalled. “My best memories were hanging out with friends, especially at sports games. I’ll always remember watching the season our boys’ basketball team won the Valley Championship in 2012. The environment in the student section for those games was electric and our team was so fun to watch.” 

During his time at Memorial, Drew was mostly involved in sports – soccer and baseball – but was also a member of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF). He was also drawn to student government as a senior. “I ran for Associated Student Body (ASB) Vice President and was elected,” said Drew.  “While I didn’t necessarily plan on ever running for political office at that point in my life, many of the leadership skills I learned in that role have developed into strengths as a candidate today.”

Drew believes attending Catholic schools K-12 benefited him personally by helping to form him into a kinder, more caring person. “I had the blessing of encountering some very special teachers during my time at St. Aloysius and SJM who cared deeply about their students and worked hard for their success, some of whom I named earlier. I was glad to learn from their examples.”

Smaller class sizes at both schools were a positive for me, noted Drew. “Smaller classes helped me establish stronger relationships with my teachers and classmates and, in many cases, develop a ‘family’ dynamic,” he said. “I’ve always tried to perpetuate that sense of connection in the broader world.”

Drew has a special passion for community service. ”I’ve always been involved in community service, but I think SJM helped my passion to serve blossom.” explained Drew. “To fulfill service requirements at SJM, I wanted to pick a program in which I hadn’t already been involved. That decision led me to volunteer at Tulare Senior Center, where I loved the work so much that I consistently doubled or tripled the required service hours each year.” 

Since then, Drew has maintained that zeal through nonprofit work at the Manuel Torrez Family Resource Center in Tulare and his political involvement. “I see the step I took a few years ago to enter politics as a logical extension of that service – just on a different scale,” he added. 

“I have always been drawn toward service to all, but particularly the vulnerable and disadvantaged,” said Drew. “ While I would never claim that someone needs an upbringing in a faith community to be moral, I believe that my own upbringing in a Catholic family – my aunt is even a Catholic nun, and former SJM teacher – focused me on social justice and ethical causes.” 

Deeply rooted and invested in their community, Drew’s family has been in Tulare for four generations. ”My grandpa was the youngest serving mayor of Tulare in the 1950’s and, since then, he, my mom, and I have continued the family tradition of doing our best to contribute to the community’s well-being.”

Drew’s sister Caitlin Phelps, is a fellow SJM alum (Class of 2016), and is now a senior at Santa Clara University. ”She plans to attend law school to hopefully enter the field of healthcare law,” he shared.

Drew earned his B.A. in Political Science from Pitzer College and his M.A. in American Politics from Claremont Graduate University,

Professionally, Drew has worked as the Senior Policy Analyst at Granville Homes for almost three years, which mostly entails work with the state government, either directly or through their advocacy groups. He also spends some of his time at work on land use and development, specifically on the entitlement process.

Drew invites those interested in his campaign for State Assembly to check out his social media links. “If anyone wants to learn more about the campaign, they can find us on Facebook or Twitter, or go to drewphelps.com. If you’re interested in getting involved or hosting a meet and greet, please feel free to reach out by emailing [email protected]. This is a big race and we need as much help as we can get!”