Watch: Why This 19-Year-Old Is Taking a Year Off College to Work on the Election
As most of his friends prepare to return to college, Tej Gokhale won’t be joining them. This year, Tej is taking his talent and passion beyond the classroom.
“I’m taking a year off school because I think our country has a bunch of problems and young people are going to be the solution,” Tej says.
The Bay Area native will be postponing his sophomore year at Columbia University and spending the year as the Civic Action Lead at DoSomething.org, the largest not-for-profit exclusively for young people and social change. In the same way youth activists are leading the charge around gun violence, immigration, and climate change, Tej, 19, will be spearheading the org’s efforts to create the most civically active generation ever.
“Our inexperience doesn’t hinder our ability to make change,” says Tej. “It’s an asset. It’s what’s actually driving change in our country right now, is young people.”
Join Tej and an entire generation of young Americans. Take 2 minutes and register to vote!
DoSomething.org is the largest not-for-profit exclusively for young people and social change. Our digital platform is activating 6 million young people (and counting!) to create offline impact in every US area code and in 131 countries.
Make a difference in your community and add your vision to the future of our democracy