Following an election held on May 16, an 18-year-old West Islip High School senior, Quinn Bedell, has been to the district's Board of Education.
Bedell noted on his Facebook page that he had decided to run for a seat on the board due to a feeling of civic obligation. He also explained why he did so as a write-in candidate, as opposed to officially being on the ballot.
Many of you have asked why I am not on the ballot. To be honest, there was one fleeting and regretful moment where I became discouraged- which really isn’t like me, but I thought “can I even win this?”
The deadline passed but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to do this, so after lots of thought I decided to throw my hat in the ring. I am going to gave to fight so much harder now but I know it’s the right thing to do. I know this school district first hand. I know what our students need. I know I can be their voice as well as a voice for the entire community.
I have no agenda. I truly just want to represent my community and work hard for all of us. The world is changing. We need more young people to be inspired to step up. I hope I can at least inspire them a little. New perspective is needed now more than ever.
You will not see Quinn Bedell on the ballot on May 16th. If you’d like to vote for me, you will need to WRITE IN my name.
Bedell will be attending college at SUNY Farmingdale during the upcoming fall emester, and will major in Horticultural Technology Management.