Representative Erica Layon’s unconventional path to the New Hampshire House spans California suburbs, MIT, Wall Street trading floors, and skydiving adventures. A cadaver dissection class in high school nearly steered her toward surgery, but she ultimately chose economics at MIT after exploring biomedical engineering and architecture.

Her experience in options trading and poker analysis sharpened her decision-making under pressure—skills she now applies in politics. A chance airport meeting led to marriage and nearly 300 skydives, including a parachute proposal and a broken femur. After working as a medical device analyst and becoming a mother of three, the pandemic spurred her into public service. Now in her third term, she leverages her analytical mindset to anticipate challenges and shape policy.