At 5 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 19, Elijah Sharma sat in a bus, patiently waiting to make one of the biggest trips of his life.
Millions of Barack Obama supporters from all over the country were gathering in Washington, D.C., to watch Obama’s inauguration, and Sharma was hoping to join them and witness firsthand that historic moment.
Sharma, a senior at Guilderland High School, is the Northeast regional director for the Young Democrats of America High School Caucus, and through that organization, he was invited to see the inauguration.
The executive director and national committee chairman of the high school caucus contacted me shortly after the election and asked me if I was interested in going to the inauguration, Sharma said before he left. `I am very excited about going as we will also be touring some historical buildings and monuments thanks to some help from the office of Paul Tonko.`
Beau Duffy, communication director for U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, said it is important to give young people the opportunity to see the political process in action.
`They get a sense that they can influence policy and can shape the events that influence their lives,` said Duffy.
`It’s important they have a say. They get to help shape the future.`
Sharma said he has always been interested in helping others and has become an advocate for many hot-button issues.
`I have always had a passion for helping. Helping people, animals, the environment, it doesn’t matter. I just can never sit idly by when things aren’t right,` he said.
Sharma is also a member of the Northeast Regional Organizing for the Student Peace Alliance, a group that focuses on finding non-violent solutions to domestic and international issues, and was awarded an outstanding activist award from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Sharma said one day he plans to run for political office and take his advocacy to the next level.
`I hope to pursue a life in politics because I see it as a place where real, lasting change is truly possible,` Sharma said.
Sharma worked as a volunteer for Obama, handling phone calls and registering constituents, while also spending time at several rally events. Sharma said small jobs played a big role in the Obama campaign.
`I also did the effective yet simple task of talking to potential voters about why they should vote for Barack Obama,` he said.
Sharma has also been active locally since former teacher Matt Nelligan and teacher Ann Marie McManus were involuntarily transferred to Farnsworth Middle School from Guilderland High School. Sharma supported the teachers during the transfer and spoke out against the move to the school board during a rally to keep the teachers in the high school. Sharma said Nelligan and McManus elicited healthy discussion and debate about many political topics and were excellent teachers.
As a result, Sharma initially planned to protest the school’s budget, but in light of recent economic issues, he said he is revisiting the issue.
`My hope is that we can have a budget that preserves the quality of education and the environment in our school district without putting an undue burden on the taxpayers who are struggling during this difficult economy,` Sharma said. `I do not think at this time it would be the most effective or appropriate means of addressing the district’s inappropriate behavior.`
Sharma said he will recommend that others do the same.
`I am going to recommend that United for McManus and Nelligan focus on the upcoming elections and endorse candidates that will serve our community and oppose candidates such as the current Guilderland Board of Education President Richard Weisz,` Sharma said.
Sharma is a member of the Parent Teacher Student Organization, and is joining the Citizen’s Budget Advisory Council, in the hopes students’ voices are heard going forward. He also founded www.elijahsharma.com to help get his message out.
`It seems many people forget that students actually attend the schools that decisions are made for, and I want to be sure that students are never left out of the decision-making process,` Sharma said.
He said one board member told him that no student has sat on the parent-teacher organization in recent memory.
`This horrified me because the sole purpose of the budget is to give the best educational experience to students. How anyone thinks this can be done without actually speaking with at least one student is beyond me,` he said.
Sharma said he plans on advocating for art, music, smaller sports and organizations, anti-bullying efforts and full-day kindergarten.
He said the recent birth of his sister gives him more incentive to improve the school district.
Sharma said short-term plans include attending Hudson Valley Community College and then transferring to the University at Albany and studying political science. “