My friend, Sreeizzle2012 is applying for a scholarship to Netroots Nation. If you aren't already supporting someone for the scholarship, would you please vote for him: http://nn13.democracyforamerica.com/...
I first met Sree about two years ago through Daily Kos. When I became a moderator for the Maryland group, I began to scan through diaries looking for potential members. When Sreeizzle2012 mentioned something about attending Towson, I sent him an invite to join Maryland Kos. Shortly after, he sent me a kosmail asking if he could "friend me." I sent him a response saying that we don't "friend" on Daily Kos, but I gave him my facebook page so he could friend me there -- which he did.
The new version of DK4 made it easier to connect with other members through kosmails. Though I'd been a member since 2007, Sree was my first real connection with another person at Daily Kos.
Knowing Sree added a new dimension to my Daily Kos experience. We chatted on Facebook and discussed current issues and regularly sent each other links to diaries and articles.
Sree is a lot younger than I am. When we first became friends, he was a junior at Towson University. But I've always gravitated to young people which is why I loved working in a high school. Sree is delightfully optimistic and enthusiastic which I haven't generally found to be true of many young people today. I'm finding that my former students tend to be cynical about politics and don't usually want to get involved political campaigns.
Though I live in Virginia now, I spend a lot of time in Maryland. Two years ago, I asked Sree if he wanted to get together when I was going to be in Columbia visiting my sister, and he agreed to meet us even though it was a 45 minute drive from where he lives in Perry Hall.
Over dinner he expressed such happiness at the opportunity to get together with another Daily Kos person. He said he was looking forward to one day being able to go to Netroots Nation so he could meet other Daily Kos people like me.
In a strange way, he made me feel like I was some kind of celebrity. Silly, because I've never felt that high on the Daily Kos community totem pole, even less at that time when I had about 3 bars of mojo to my name.
I realized then that there was something I could do to make Sree very happy. As a moderator for Maryland Kos and Virginia Kos, I could arrange a meetup with some other local Kossacks. I organized a Maryland/DC/Virginia meetup in Silver Spring, Maryland and it was successful beyond everyone's expectations. It was great meeting other kossacks. I think there is a yearning that many of us share to meet others who share our passion for politics and social issues.
A few days ago, Sree asked me if I would help advocate for him to win one of the scholarships to Netroots Nation. My answer of course was yes. I voted for him and asked my family and friends to vote for him. Most of my facebook friends ignored my post about it because after all, "What the hell is Netroots Nation" -- most people don't know or care. A few of my friends who are on Daily Kos did vote for him (Thanks to all of you!)
My best hope for getting votes for Sree is to reach out to the Daily Kos community to convince people that it would be beneficial if Sree were to receive one of the scholarships to Netroots.
On his application, he gives some reasons that he'd be a good applicant for a scholarship. He worked on President Obama's 2008 and 2012 campaigns. This is even more commendable when you consider that he was eighteen during the first campaign.
He volunteers at a free clinic with a mainly uninsured Hispanic population, where he was able to be more effective because he is fluent in Spanish (I don't think he mentioned that in the application, but he is).
His grades at the university were excellent -- which resulted in his being accepted into medical school for this coming fall.
There are some things that his application can't tell you and I hope that I can make you understand -- there is something special about Sree, something that makes others want to do more. He listens and encourages and cheers you on. It was because I was inspired by Sree that I began to organize the Maryland/DC/Virginia meetups. I think he can have that effect on other people as well, because after meeting him, at least two of my friends said that they were going to join Daily Kos.
That's why I hope that you will vote for Sree for a Netroots Nation scholarship.
9:56 PM PT: Thanks to the query by HappyInNM, I thought I'd clarify, if you go to http://nn13.democracyforamerica.com/... you need to click on the big blue button to vote.