Leah Hill: Legislative director, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)

Leah Hill is no stranger to a tough crowd.

The legislative director for Sen.

Cory Booker (D-N.J.) started her career teaching first- and second-graders in Chicago with Teach for America.

But the issues facing her classroom felt too big to ignore, and she became curious about how lawmakers in Springfield, Ill., and Washington were making...