Taking Time Off to Make History

The following young people decided this election was too important to sit on the sidelines and watch as the future of their countries dangled by a thread. Millennials have the opportunity to stop Donald Trump from deciding what the next four years mean for America and these millennials, in particular, are working tirelessly and passionately to pave the way for history to be made.

Listen to the stories, in their own voices, of some of our fantastic organizers in #MISheCan who took a semester off of college to work for the campaign. Hear their stories and then join them at your local field office to volunteer.

Elaina

Elaina is an organizer for the Troy/Rochester Hills area. She is taking the semester off from Central Michigan University, where she is a history major focusing on Eastern Europe during the Holocaust and the Cold War. At CMU, she was very involved in the marching band, and is a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi.

Andrew

My name is Andrew Martin and I am 32 years old. I grew up in a working class home with working class parents. My father works for the Transport Worker Union so i was raised on middle class values and principles. I have worked in restaurants my entire adult life and I see daily what republican policies do to the average American.

Becca

My name is Rebecca Jackson and I am currently an organizer in Lansing. I am double majoring in Human Development and Family Studies and Sociology at Michigan State University. I grew up on the West Side of Michigan in a small town called Montague, where my very first job was picking asparagus! I have a passion for collaborating with others to create social change because we truly are Stronger Together.

Hassan

Hassan Ahmad is a 20-year-old student studying Political Science at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He’s a Muslim-American of Pakistani descent, and was born in New Jersey. Hassan is currently the Regional Director of an educational nonprofit called MIST Detroit, and is running for local office in Canton Township, one of Detroit’s western suburbs.

Matthew

Matthew, instead of graduating December of 2016, is taking a semester off from Western Michigan University to join the Michigan Coordinated Campaign. His background is in Organizational Communication, and Gender & Women’s Studies. It’s his hope that in his efforts he can make sure all students have a voice on campus.

Charlie

HAILing from the University of Michigan, Charlie is 20 years old and is studying public policy. Originally from Detroit, Charlie is interested in the development and systems of American cities. When working on the campaign, Charlie can be found biking around Detroit!

Frank

Frank is taking a semester off of college in order to work to get Secretary Clinton and other democrats elected up and down the ticket. In the spring he will be returning to Arizona State University where he is earning his Bachelors of Science in Public Service and Public Policy a with a concentration in Business. While being a full time student, he was elected as a freshman and served as the youngest Student Body President of Arizona State University, representing the largest public higher education intuition in the United States with over 83,000 students in attendance.

However, growing up, Frank never had it easy. He entered the foster care system at the age of 16 with his younger sister, and moved 27 different times before his 18th birthday. While in care his foster parents severed all ties from his friends, family, and any personal relation he had with anyone. After he was physically abused for the last time, he exited care at the age of 17, and went to live with a relative. Wanting to improve the foster care system, Frank began advocating for children in foster care and young people formerly in care — helping to improve their lives. He spoke to the Arizona state legislature, and testified at the Arizona House and Senate to promote the passage of Arizona Senate Bill 1208, which will allow young people formerly in the Arizona foster care system to attend any Arizona college or university of their choice with tuition waivers. Additionally, he has had the opportunity to speak about foster care reform at the White House on a number of occasions and the National Governors Association.