At the age of 24, many people still are trying to work their way through college or struggling through their first job position, but one University graduate has bigger dreams in mind.
Kyle Johnston has filed to run for the 2004 U.S. Congress, making him the youngest congressional candidate in the country.
Johnston, who is currently working on his master’s degree in business administration at Rice University in Texas, said he is the first member of Generation Y to run for congress.
Generation Y includes anyone born between 1978 and 1994.
Johnston, who will be 25 by the time elections roll around, spent five years at the University working on his bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in political science.
Johnston said political science professor Wayne Parent was one of the biggest influences on his decision to run for public office.
Parent said Johnston showed a genuine interest in politics during his semester in Parent’s Louisiana Politics class and soon began to talk about running for office.
Johnston said he decided he wanted to do something to make a difference.
“At some point you have to stand up and do something,” Johnston said. “The most you can do is run for Congress.”
During his time at the University, Johnston and friend Rhett Morris began to write a book titled “The Y-Factor: A New Generation Enters Politics.”
After writing the book, Johnston and Morris founded YouthElect, a non-partisan organization which keeps college students informed about important issues and connects them with politics.
“If young people want to have a voice, they need to get involved,” said Morris, who is now the executive director of YouthElect.
Morris said students can be involved in politics by voting, running for office and being educated about candidates.
Because the elections are more than a year away, Johnston has not developed a complete policy platform. The democrat is looking for student input and suggestions about what kind of issues they would like to see him address.
Students can send their suggestions to Johnston through his Web site at johnston2004.com.