From Post-Its to Politics by Zahed

From Post-Its to Politics by Zahed - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

While the voting age might be eighteen, my first taste of electoral power came in my school’s
mock 2012 Presidential election. Although my Post-It note ballot had no sway, the notion that a day later, millions of Americans like my parents would decide who held the nation’s power was
intoxicating. On election day, I went with my Dad as he went to cast his vote. He explained the
American electoral system and the idea that in the USA, the power was in the hands of the people.
Seeing him slap on his “I Voted” sticker started a lifelong love for politics.

On Saturday mornings, I would supplement cartoons with a few minutes of news. My most
valuable education came not from the newscasters but from my Dad, who would talk about some
of what I was seeing on TV. My first real introduction to topics like political parties, the basics of the economy, and so much more came not from a classroom environment but in my living room.

Through high school, these chats with my Dad turned into in-depth talks about real issues that
impacted the people around us, like immigration policy and the climate. I realized that I had the
opportunity to be an active political participant and jumped at the chance to support causes and
candidates that I cared about.

My introduction to politics through my Dad was dually revealing to me. For one, it sparked a love
for the political sphere that is not solely academic but also actionable in the sense that political involvement is both attainable and often results in positive change in my community. Further, I learned that some of the most valuable learning occurs not in the classroom but through real-world experience and conversations with others about the issues that truly matter.

Putting that crumpled-up Post-It into the construction paper-covered ballot box led to many years of enlightening experiences that informed my decision to major in the field of Political Science, in hopes of fundamentally impacting not just the life of myself or of my family but the lives of all those around me.