I got a job on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign — because of a tweet
Social media can be a lot more powerful than you think
The day before I graduated from Louisiana State University, I sent this tweet.
I’ve admired Hillary Clinton for as long as I can remember. She’s spent her life advocating for the causes closest to my heart: As a young lawyer, she went undercover to investigate segregated schools in Alabama; she spent a summer registering disenfranchised voters in my home state of Texas; she declared “women’s right are human rights,” and “gay rights are human rights” on international stages; and in late 2014, she stood proudly on stage and said “black lives matter” when many other politicians wouldn’t. So, the minute I saw Hillary Clinton’s campaign logo, I decided it would be on my mortar board when I graduated.
To me, her logo represents decades of fighting for forward progress, no matter what stands in your way — and I couldn’t imagine a better symbol to have on my cap as I crossed the stage and accepted my diploma.
I tweeted the photo of me holding the decorated cap, expecting to get a few congratulatory messages from my friends and the LSU community (and possibly a few compliments on my craft work — or on how I’d expertly coordinated my nail polish, earrings, and lipstick). I did not expect what actually happened next. At all.
Hillary Clinton retweeted me. The actual, blue-checked-marked Hillary Clinton retweeted me! I was so shocked that my instincts took over: I was graduating the next day and didn’t have a job lined up, so …
I didn’t expect anything to come from this, of course. There’s no way Hillary’s campaign would ever read my response to their retweet, right?
Wrong. A few minutes later, Jenna Lowenstein — who now serves as the campaign’s digital director — replied to my tweet:
“Shoot me an email — we should talk!”
I was floored. Someone from the campaign actually reached out to me! I typed an introduction email, attached my resume, and hit send —all while in a state of shock.
I remember looking at the sent message and thinking, “Okay, THIS is where reality will catch up with me. She’ll reply to the email, compliment my photo, congratulate me on graduating, and then we’ll all move on with our lives.”
Seven minutes after I hit send, I got her reply.
“Hi Logan,
Thanks for your email! Obviously we loved your cap, but also poked around the interwebs and saw some of your writing. We were impressed by your enthusiasm and your work.”
She connected me with Lauren Peterson, the campaign’s director of digital content, who immediately scheduled an interview with me. The next morning, hours before my college graduation ceremony, I had my first phone interview. I spent that weekend completing a writing test.
And then, the Monday after I graduated, I was offered a position on Hillary for America’s Digital Content Team.
Less than two weeks later, I moved to Brooklyn. I spent exactly one year working at campaign headquarters in Brooklyn before coming to #VirWINia to help make sure our Commonwealth stays blue this November.
In short: I get to work on a historic, groundbreaking, glass-shattering presidential campaign because of a tweet.
But how I got here is only the beginning. The real story is why the campaign hired me, and what I’ve learned since joining this team.
This campaign took a chance on me because they understand the importance of making sure young people are involved in this election.
Hillary champions the issues that mean the most to us: college affordability, campus sexual assault, gay rights, racial justice, equal pay, and so many more. She’s has committed to fixing our broken immigration system, fighting against the systemic racism people of color face each and every day, getting rid of restrictions that keep women from accessing their reproductive rights, and creating an economy that works for everyone.
These policies are important. They will shape our lives for decades to come. But none of this can happen unless each and every one of us turn out to vote — and make sure our friends do, too.
Make a plan to vote and tweet it out.
Post a link to IWillVote.com on Facebook.
Take a selfie while you’re knocking on doors and Instagram it.
Snapchat yourself making calls.
It might seem small, but sharing your story can really make a difference in this election. After all, you never know where your post might end up.
Make sure you’re ready to vote on Election Day by heading to IWillVote.com.
