From planner to politician: Claiming her seat at the table

Sam Choudhury’s election as Deputy Mayor of Stonnington didn’t happen by chance. It was the culmination of early dinner table conversations, a career in city-making and a University-led program that gave her the confidence to run.

When the Masters of Development Studies alum decided to apply for Pathways to Politics for Women, she saw it as an opportunity to gain some clarity on her future political career.

_{Sam with Pathways to Politics Founder Carol Schwartz AO and fellow participant Faiza Nouman, Pathways graduation at Government House 2024.}

The non-partisan program is an initiative of the Trawalla Foundation, Women’s Leadership Institute Australia and the University of Melbourne.

It equips women to boldly embrace their political ambitions through hands-on workshops led by prominent politicians, advisors, media trainers and more, as well as offering access to one-to-one political mentoring to further boost their readiness to run for office.

“At that point, I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do in politics, but I figured the program would help me understand,” said Sam.

She was right – the program encouraged Sam to reflect on her broader purpose. “All the micro skills around campaigning and working with parties, we certainly got that out of the program, too,” she said.

The program’s leadership was crucial to Sam’s experience. She reflected on how National Co-Convenor and Victorian Program Director Dr Meredith Martin fostered a space where women of all political leanings felt welcome.

“You can't talk about Pathways without talking about Meredith. Mem was amazing in her ability to create a safe and empowering space for all of us,” said Sam.

“I felt that over the six weeks, we were very well supported and had the chance to be mentored by lots of people in politics, including current politicians.”

For Sam, the impact of this program on her cohort, and on Australia’s political landscape more broadly, can’t be understated.

“I think that if more women knew about this program or had access to this information, more of us would run in politics,” she said.

Claiming her seat

While Sam had a clear interest in making a difference through politics, there were niggling doubts and unanswered questions that gave her pause.

“I thought I needed to be a part of a party to run, even at a local council level,” said Sam.

“But for me, running for office was more about offering my professional background to help serve my culture and community.”

_{Sam giving a speech in Victorian Parliament as part of the Speeches in Parliament module during the program, 2023.}

Realising she could run in her local election without being party-affiliated was eye-opening. “I learned that I still had a stake and a place, and the program gave me that knowledge.”

Still, Sam felt daunted at the prospect of campaigning and needed encouragement from the program’s community to get her over the line.

“My Pathways mentor pushed me and said, ‘it doesn't hurt to campaign and run’. That year, council elections were happening, so I went for it,” said Sam.

And it’s just as well, as Sam was elected Deputy Major of Stonnington in late 2025.

“The program equipped me quite well to deal with the first year of my term. I had a lot of support in place too.”

Explore what a career in politics looks like for you. Applications for the 2026 Pathways to Politics are open until 30 April. Learn more about the program and sign up.