Lt. Governor’s Daughter Blazes Her Own Trail of Service at Rutgers

Ashley Caldwell, who has served on the New Brunswick school board since her junior year, graduates this spring

On the first day of her final semester at Rutgers, Ashley Caldwell was at the inauguration for Gov. Mikie Sherrill, holding the Bible for her father, Dale Caldwell, who was sworn in as the state's lieutenant governor.

It was a fitting place for the 21-year-old Rutgers senior, who follows in her family's legacy of service, as she prepares for graduation with a degree in public policy.

She entered Rutgers four years ago, envisioning a career in psychology as a way to help others, but soon switched majors.

"Ever since I was little, I had a passion to help people who couldn't help themselves," said Caldwell, who attends Edward J. Bloustein of Planning and Public Policy. "I took a public policy course and fell in love with the subject matter. I felt like it was one of the only majors that you're asked to come up with your own innovative solutions.''

She is already helping to shape policy at the local level as a member of the New Brunswick Board of Education. Caldwell has held the position since August 2024, attending her first meeting only a week before her 20th birthday.

The following year, she ran for and won a special election, allowing her to finish out the term that ended this month. She decided to seek re-election, and on April 21, she was the top vote-getter in the school board elections, securing a three-year seat.

She was initially appointed to the board to fill the seat vacated by her father, who was stepping down to focus on his role as the president of Centenary University, a private liberal arts school in Hackettstown, N.J. A year later, he was selected by then-gubernatorial candidate Sherrill as her running mate, and he currently also serves as New Jersey's secretary of state.

When school board members asked her to consider stepping into the seat that her father had held for 26 years, Caldwell wondered if she was ready for public office. But board members were already familiar with her because she had served as the student representative to the board.

"My family encouraged me," she said. "I also knew I had a voice to advocate for other young people. I felt like I'd be doing a disservice to at least run for the position."

Caldwell has experience campaigning. In her junior year, she went door-to-door for Sherrill during the Democratic primary - long before her father would be picked as Sherrill's running mate

"I knew she had the highest chance of winning, and I believed in many of the policies she was advocating for," she said.

Maybe she was destined to be in public service because of the Caldwell family legacy. Her grandfather was the Rev. Gilbert "Gil" Caldwell, who marched alongside Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

"Our family motto has always been to be a voice for the voiceless," she said. Caldwell is currently interning at Capital Impact Group, a bipartisan government affairs and business development firm based in Trenton, where she meets state and local legislators to advance policy priorities. She recently went to Washington, D.C., to participate in Afterschool Alliance's advocacy day for afterschool and summer programs.

She said she had a well-rounded experience at Rutgers. She served as a photographer for the student newspaper, The Daily Targum, studied abroad, made the dean's list, joined a sorority, and played club tennis.

"I was born and raised in New Brunswick. I've been here all 21 years of my life," she said. "A lot of times people move away for college, but I haven't done that. I've loved every bit of it. It's nice to be able to be a part of a positive change for my community."

After graduation, she's taking a gap year to figure out her next move. If possible, she'd like to stay with Capital Impact Group or pursue her master's degree in public policy.

"I'm just getting started,'' she said. "I really enjoy being on the school board right now. I like legislative work, whether it's behind the scenes or in the spotlight, as long as I can make the change I want to see being made."