Candidate for
Council Member; City of Monrovia

I have been a resident here in Monrovia all my life (20 years). I was born in 1984 and graduated from Monrovia High School in 2002.

I am currently studying at PCC (Pasadena City College) and along with the general ed (Math, English), I am taking Sociology, Psychology, Philophy, History and Political Science which is what I plan to major in and transfer to a UC or Cal State by next year.

I became interested in politics after watching CNN when I took a trip to Germany (my first flight of the country) in 1996 with my dad to visit relatives. It was the only English speaking channel and at the age of 12 I realized the world isn't a great place eveywhere (worse now i think.) I wanted to change things then but had no real power. In recent years I have been amazed by the involvment of politics and how now everyone seems to talk about it. Before, growing up, politics wasn't discussed all that much. I'm glad to be living in a time (like the 60's and early 70's) inwhich political chat is part of a mainstream dialogue and I hope to get more youth involved in the system and changing it as they see it. I was amazed by the grassroots responce by former democratic candidate and DNC Chairman Howard Dean get noticed and how he told supporters on the road on his campign in 2003 and early in 2004 to not only change the presidency but politics as a whole and get local progressives and youth involved and elected in local levels of city councils, mayors, and state assembly. I feel like I am part of a greater youth revolution across the nation taking over local politics and bringing the voices back to the people.

I am involved with Students for Social Justice (SSJ) at PCC and will work with them for a second year now to bring awareness to different political issues. Last semester we successfully helped hotel workers with their strike and teachers working for the pay raise they got with our help, and will continue to protest military recruitments coming on campuses of minority colleges for the reason of injustice to many who get harrassed and from personal experience of a friend who fought in Iraq and before he went was a recrutier and tried to go to a school in Beverly Hills but got kicked out within 10 minutes when students phoned their parents and parents came to campus to complain. We don't have that option over at PCC and other campuses where we aren't all wealthy and can afford to kick them out. We believe if the rich want to go and support a war then go fight it and stop bothering the minority and poor who are against it yet are the only ones who fight.

I am proud to stand with thousands of youth who are standing up and voicing progressive values and changing this nation for the better and for future generations.