For most people, diving headfirst into a new job at the White House would be a difficult enough task. But just weeks after settling in at her post on the Domestic Policy Council, Zina Bash faced another life-changing challenge: motherhood.

While she may not have a bounty of free time, Bash says that her favorite thing to do when the workday ends is to sing to her daughter, Mabel, in Spanish.

{mosads}

The bilingual Bash is no stranger to the top echelons of government — she previously clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.

And as she takes on two new tests, Bash sees them as linked.

“Though I miss Mabel tremendously during the day, I have felt that — because I’m part of a team working every day to improve the welfare, safety and security of the country she will grow up in — I’m doing this for her,” Bash says.

— Ben Kamisar