In 2008, we saw an explosion of youth participation in politics and community service. In towns and cities across the country, young people of all ages and backgrounds spent countless hours in service for the greater good.
2008 was just the beginning. The millennial generation is of selflessness, dedicated to service rather than self-satisfaction.
Here at The Graduate School of Political Management, we want to recognize and reward this dedication.
Each year, we will select four undergraduate fellows who are leading their generation in political service. Each will receive a $10,000 scholarship to attend The Graduate School of Political Management.
I am proud to announce our first class of undergraduate fellows.
Jordan Spencer
Undergraduate Student Government Campaigner of the Year
Jordan ran a meticulous and innovative Student Body President and Vice Presidential campaign. He brought new meaning to "grassroots organizing" by creating Google Spreadsheets to track every single student at his school. He and his staff used the sheets to track everything, including get out the vote (GOTV) efforts and voting. He organized parties in every residence hall and utilized all new media devices available. Most impressive was his reading of popular opinion. At the end of the day, his candidates won with 53% of the vote, a school record.
Patrick Boland
Undergraduate Student Government Campaigner of the Year
Patrick ran for USG President and did it in an innovative way. Realizing that he was the underdog, he focused on knocking on every student's door not just once or twice, but three times. He was the first person at his school to use text messaging in his campaign, and, like many of his generation, used other forms of new media to secure victory. The most impressive part of his work was his meticulous organization, delegating communications and other aspects of the campaign to huge teams of staff.
Parker Novak
Student Campaigner of the Year
Parker was heavily involved in the 2008 election cycle. Not only did he work full-time at an Ohio political consulting and public affairs firm, he also worked as an internet consultant for Odyssey New Media, a firm he helped found. In these roles, Parker worked on four Congressional campaigns. Parker brought new media to Ohio's local politics, utilizing blogs, YouTube, e-mail, and web sites. What makes his work and innovation even more impressive is that he was also enrolled as a full-time student at Ohio State University.
Kara Van Stralen
Student Advocate of the Year
Kara took a unique approach to issue advocacy. Instead of playing to only one side of the LGBTQ issue, she organized a large debate on-campus to discuss gay marriage. She organized one of the largest events in her school's history. Her idea of marketing the debate by putting up "photo booths" on campus for people to take wedding photos was a great success. Kara understands how to get people talking about an issue, a skill that will prove useful in her future political endeavors.
We would like to thank our judges and sponsor organization, Campaigns & Elections' Politics Magazine.