20-Year-Old Uses Facebook and Micro Donations to Run For Mayor
On November 15, 2009, Glenn Stegall, a 20-year-old political science major at the University of Georgia, announced his candidacy for mayor of Athens-Clarke County. He's not the first ambitious undergrad to run for mayor, but he has a new advantage: a Barack Obama fund raising model, Facebook.
“My life has also prepared me for this journey. I grew up in a small south Georgia town. The socioeconomic status of just about everyone was poor. Most people I came in contact with on a daily bases had little education…The difference I can make by simply talking about the issues, and raising awareness is worth my effort alone. If we wait for the perfect time to help people, the problems they face may not persist anymore. Our ability to help may not be the same. So I say why not, why wait, and why not step up to the plate now.”
Intriguingly, Stegall is able to stay in the race financially as well. The youth-written blog Erica America has the story (and video).
