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Debi Rose isn't your typical Staten Island politician. Besides her Democratic pedigree, she's the island's first black City Council member, and she prefers hugs to handshakes.

"I was a very different kind of person. The kind that you didn't see in Staten Island politics," said Rose. "I used to say that I was not anointed and appointed."

Rose's long career in public service began as a young girl as a member of the National Council of Negro Women, following in the footsteps of her mother to eventually become its president. She also served on Community Board 1 for almost 30 years before deciding to test the waters of public office.

Her first bid in 2000 fell short by 100 votes to Michael McMahon. Years later, she lost a special election to McMahon's chief of staff, Ken Mitchell, by about 300 votes. She says she was told repeatedly by island Democratic party bosses that she didn't have a shot at winning.

"Do you really think you could win? And I said, 'Of course I think I could win!' And I really did. I really believed that I could win. And they said, 'But...you can't win.'" Rose said.

Rose eventually defeated Mitchell in the general election in 2009 and celebrated her hard-fought victory with an inauguration at the St. George Theater, filling its nearly 2,000 seats with friends, family and supporters.

"Women came out and supported me, they really got that I was the only woman in the race and that maybe it was time to have a different voice," Rose said.

Rose admits her first year in office wasn't exactly easy. She says she spent a lot of time convincing people she wouldn't just address the concerns of the African-American community but would hear the concerns of the entire North Shore community she represents.

"There was the perception that I was a neophyte, and I didn't know anything, that I was only gonna represent a very small portion of the district, primarily African-Americans. That I was a liberal, and that I am a progressive Democrat," Rose said.

Rose says she has been able to change that perception by taking the time to really listen to the concerns and problems of her constituents, even if she can't necessarily offer a solution to all cases.

She says she hopes her legacy is one that will empower women to overcome obstacles and stay focused on their goals.