From Hedge Fund to the House of Representatives: Woodbury Alumnus Launches Write-In Campaign - at 25

2010 Accounting Grad Declares for Congress as June 7 Primary Looms. End Quote

Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (1888PressRelease) May 26, 2016 - Kenneth Mejia, Woodbury University Class of 2010, isn't your average recently-minted college grad.

A licensed CPA for the last six years, Mejia finished Woodbury in two and a half years. He recently quit his job at a hedge fund to dedicate "100 percent of [his] time and energy to helping others" -- starting with a write-in bid for Congress.

Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign inspired Mejia to register to vote for the first time, run as a California delegate to the Democratic National Convention, and now, draw a bead on the House of Representatives.

"I'm not a politician, just a compassionate and motivated human being fighting for justice for all," he noted on his Facebook page. Mejia's name won't appear on the June 7 primary ballot, but his write-in campaign is now in overdrive. If he succeeds, he will be the youngest person elected to Congress since 22-year-old William Charles Cole Claiborne of Tennessee, who was seated, despite the constitutional requirement, in 1797.

Mejia is running in the 34th Congressional District, for the seat currently held by Rep. Xavier Becerra, who is seeking reelection. The district encompasses Boyle Heights, Chinatown, Downtown Los Angeles, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Koreatown and Little Tokyo, among other neighborhoods.

"I genuinely care about the well-being of people who live in this world, especially people who are working constantly to provide for themselves and their families but still can't catch a break in life," Mejia notes on his campaign site (http://kennethmejiaforcongress.nationbuilder.com/). "I grew up in a part of Los Angeles where I'd see parents working two jobs so that they could put their kids through school, pay for their family's medical bills, put a roof over their head, and put food in their mouths.

I definitely disagree that everyone is given the same chance to succeed as everyone else.

"Why [is it that] a majority of the country has so little but the few have so much?" Mejia wrote. "I work in the financial services industry… I can still live a comfortable life, and have enough for the future and my family. I care about the condition of the majority of the people living in this country… Think about these people who are struggling…, who are good people trying to do their best for their kids, family, for all of us. The majority of these people might be you, your family, your friends, a coworker, or just a neighbor down the street… these people just need a chance."

Among the planks in Mejia's campaign platform:
o Making healthcare free, and public college/university tuition-free
o Refinancing existing student loans to a lower interest rate
o Giving workers 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave
o Representing "the interests of the people, not big corporations and rich individuals"
o Civil rights for all (race, sexual orientation, gender, age, etc.)
o Automatic voter registration at the age of 18, fixing our political finance system "by taking corporate money out of politics and getting rid of Citizens United"

About Woodbury University
Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. With campuses in Burbank/Los Angeles and San Diego, the university offers bachelor's degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media, Culture & Design, and College of Liberal Arts, along with a Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts in Media for Social Justice, Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of Interior Architecture (MIA), Master of Science in Architecture (MSArch), Master of Leadership, and Master of Arts in Media for Social Justice. The San Diego campus offers Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture, Master of Interior Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture degrees, as well as an MSArch degree with a concentration in Real Estate Development and Landscape + Urbanism. Woodbury ranks 15th among the nation's "25 Colleges That Add the Most Value," according to Money Magazine and is a 2014-2015 College of Distinction. Visit woodbury.edu for more information.

Media Contact:
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
(323) 469-3397
ken ( @ ) edgecommunicationsinc dot com

###

space

Other Related Press Releases