Karine Jean-Pierre’s mother worried about her career choice until she landed a job in the White House. Reflecting on the concerns of Haitian parents about their kids having a “good job” was just one of the highlights of Jean-Pierre’s delightful conversation with CBS correspondent Vladimir Duthiers on Nov. 6.

The evening discussion and book signing was sponsored by NYU’s McSilver Institute and the Haitian Roundtable. Jean-Pierre and Duthiers both shared experiences of growing up as Haitians in the U.S. that had heads nodding in agreement in the capacity crowd. She detailed how her experiences as an immigrant led her to a decision to work in politics—despite her family’s misgivings.

Jean-Pierre, a political analyst for NBC and MSNBC, is the Chief Public Affairs Officer for MoveOn.org. She served as Regional Political Director for the White House Office of Political Affairs before becoming Deputy Battleground States Director for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.

The book, Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America (Hanover Square Press), is an inspiring memoir and call to action which chronicles her experiences—from growing up in New York’s Haitian community to working in the Obama White House and charting a path for others to help change the face of politics. She was inducted into the 1804 List of Haitian-American Changemakers by The Haitian Roundtable in 2015.