You are here: Home / World / Gen Y Taking Charge of their Political Destiny

Gen Y Taking Charge of their Political Destiny

July 21, 2010 by

[HTML1] Brad Burnett, a graduate of Mark Strama’s Campaign Academy, along with current participants Jaime Salazar and Aylin Saribudak, join Keeping Up with Gen Y to discuss why it’s important for young people to be engaged in the political process and share ways the next generation can take charge of their political destiny right now.

It shouldn’t come as a big surprise that they believe social media play a key role in engaging young people in the process. But, they also are the first to admit that working towards a better tomorrow requires a commitment that goes beyond supporting a specific candidate. Affecting positive change in government and communities doesn’t happen through campaign slogans, but rather individuals banning together to make a difference.

More about Brad Burnett
Brad Burnett, 25, is a native of Austin, Texas. In the summer of 2008, he participated in Mark Strama’s Campaign Academy where he helped to organize block-walking and StramaRama, a large fundraiser held at the end of each Campaign Academy. He also worked for Rep. Strama during the 2009 Texas Legislative Session, ending his work at the Capitol in December.

He is a graduate of Austin Community College, where he was student body president. He also was a Gold member of Phi Theta Kappa.

Brad is currently a senior at The University of Texas at Austin, where he is working towards a Bachelor of Arts in Government and History. He has been a special contributor to Y Gen Out Loud, detailing his experiences at the inauguration of President Obama, and will soon be rejoining the team as a reporter.

More about Jaime Salazar
A native of San Antonio, Jaime Salazar graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in May 2010 with a degree in Government. He attended Mark Strama’s Campaign Academy in Austin to learn more about how to run a successful political campaign. He plans to teach high school government while raising money to attend law school.

More about Aylin Saribudak
Aylin Saribudak grew up in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston. She is a senior at The University of Texas at Austin, where she studies English and Government. Mark Strama’s Campaign Academy is her first hands-on experience with politics, and she looks forward to putting that experience to use this fall during the 2010 midterm elections. After graduation from UT, Aylin plans to spend a few years working in education or politics before attending law school.

Filed Under: World Tagged With:
About Tamara Bell

Tamara Bell is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Y Gen Out Loud, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that provides a platform for Generation Yto discuss national politics and public policy issues.

Tamara began her journalism career as a staff reporter for the Dallas Times Herald. A few years later, she moved to York, Pa., as a political reporter for the York Dispatch, covering local, state, and national government as well as writing investigative stories for the mid-sized daily newspaper.

A Texas girl at heart, Tamara returned to Dallas a year later to work as press relations director for the re-election campaign of U.S. Rep. John Bryant. The next year, she moved to Austin and the Texas Legislature, where she stayed for 15 years. While at the Legislature, Tamara worked for Democratic House members as Chief-of-Staff and Press Secretary, and as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Senate State Affairs Committee chaired by a Republicansenator.

In 1996, Tamara became co-owner of a political newsletter covering state issues and elections. As Editor-in-Chief, Tamara helped shape the weekly publication into a must-read for state officials, legislative aides, and lobbyists. More recently, Tamara wrote a regular column analyzing coverage by the Texas Capitol Press Corps for an online political publication. She also works as a lecturer in the Advertising Department at The University of Texasat Austin.

Tamara has also been a judge for the 2010 Bright Ideas Award given by the Texas Daily Newspaper Association, served as a panelist at the Society of Professional Journalists 2010 Region 8 Conference where the theme was How to Save Journalism, and has been a guest lecture for the Advertising Department’s Internship course, speaking about the jobs outlook for graduating seniors.

Tamara earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, and her B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M University. She resides in Austin with her son, Jackson.

Tamara Bell is also the Host of Keeping Up with Gen Y on WomensRadio. Keeping Up with Gen Y offers discussions, interviews, and commentary about important issues of the day from the perspective of Generation Y (18-to 30-years-old). Aimed at all generations interested in learning about and inspiring young people, this show features professionals, experts, researchers, and members of Gen Y who share insights and experiences about the topics on the minds of today’s young adults.