Recently, interspersed between upset residents and retired grandparents, many San Mateo students took to the city hall stand; some in disappointment, others in anger. Some addressed specific board members—members who they helped campaign for and spent their summer working with—while others spoke to the board as a whole, frustrated with their ill-focused agenda and inability to begin picking a new chairman. 

But what all these students shared in common was the fact they couldn’t vote; they were all under 18. Some had biked to the city hall, while others had their parents drive them. And despite their lack of a license and a ballot, these students still managed to have impactful speeches that filled the room with applause. Their speeches made me realize something: minors have the ability to further political conversation and civic engagement in a way that older counterparts do not. 

And no, I am not referring to the use of social media—our private social media accounts will only reach our similarly-aged classmates. I am referring to the inherent “young innocence” we all share.

Take canvassing, a job in which a student’s age—and thus perceived innocence—will literally open doors, according to a study published by Bowdoin College. And canvassing, which Yale researchers have found to increase voter turnout by 9.8 percent, is not the only area in politics where youth have power.

Take 17-year-old Christina Ellis who, alongside a group of peers, reversed York County, PA’s ban on over a dozen books in 2022. She then spoke at a House Oversight Committee about her success. 

There is no doubt in my mind that her speech, which found its way onto news outlets like the “Washington Post”, inspired change across the country, showing the power of students’ voices. 

Or, take the “2019 TIME’s person of the year” Greta Thunberg. She might be 19 now, but she was only 15 when she sparked a global conversation regarding climate change. That was three years before she could have legally voted in Switzerland. 

You see, there is no end in sight for what youth can achieve. Believing that youth can only achieve ripples in global and even local politics is a dangerous falsehood; it prevents us from realizing our capabilities and makes us stationary. We should be knocking on doors and taking audience at city council meetings, not waiting until we turn 18.