There's a conversation going on at a college conference that seems like any other between a group of college students. Except one teen at the table has something a little different to talk about.
"My name is Tay Anderson, I am 18 years old," Anderson says. "I am now also the youngest candidate ever in our state's history to ever seek political office."
Tay Anderson is running for a seat on the Denver Public Schools Board of Education. And he wants his colleagues to know, they could do the same thing.
"One of you all could be the next school board member in your county," Anderson says. "You could be the next city council man or woman in your county."
Anderson says he wasn't set up for political success.
"I've never met my father my mother was a teen mom," Anderson recalled.
And by senior of high school he found himself homeless.
"It made it hard but I persevered and got through it," Anderson says. "That gave me even more power to want to get involved with our city."
Already elected student body president three times, Anderson turned his attention to the school board.
"I decided I wanted to run for office because I noticed that young people are represented anywhere," Anderson says.
While many supported Anderson's vision, some couldn't see past his age.
Anderson says, "People say that I'm inexperienced you have to have x amount of years, you have to know the education system and I say I know the education system I am a product of it."
If Anderson wins the seat, he won't be the only teen holding office. Earlier this year an 18 year old was elected to a school board in Texas. Anderson's message resonated among his peers.
"I'm 18 myself so like I understand completely," says Justin Mosher. "I think that's awesome. I think it's just like opened up the window open up the door whatever you want to say opened it up for everybody to say we could do that."
A message that not only can teens talk together, but hold public office together too.
"This is our time," Anderson says. "This is our time to stand up and say it's possible."
