Twenty-four-year-old Indian-American software engineer Ashwin Ramaswami is all set to enter the American political arena. But what makes him different from the rest is that, if elected, he will be the first Gen Z (or Zoomer, i.e. people born between 1997 and 2012) to be a State Senator in the United States if elected.
News agency PTI reported that the 24-year-old would run for a state or federal legislature in the United States.
‘Giving Back to the Community’
Ramaswami said to PTI, “I’m running for (Georgia) State Senate to give back to my community. I want to make sure that everyone has the same opportunities that I had growing up.”
A second-generation immigrant, Ramaswami from the Democratic party is running against Republican candidate Shawn Still, who, along with former US president Donald Trump, was indicted for the 6 January US Capitol insurrection.
“I want to make sure we have a new voice, people who are young, who come from unconventional backgrounds in politics because it’s really important that we have people who represent us, not just people who can afford to do it.”Ashwin Ramaswami, told to PTI
Who is Ashwin Ramaswami?
Born and raised in Johns Creek, Georgia, Ramaswami’s parents moved to the US from Tamil Nadu in the 1990s. Ramaswami also has a twin brother.
In 2021, he graduated from Stanford in 2021, where he studied computer science. Ramaswami has both a computer science and a law degree.
In September 2021, Ramaswami took classes at Chinmaya Mission for middle and high schoolers about Hindu philosophy and culture, including the Bhagavad Gita.
“When I was in college, I learned Sanskrit and ended up reading a lot of ancient texts and got very interested in reading Upanishads, .. and my whole life I've been very involved in yoga and meditation and now also teaching Baal Vihara to younger students."Ashwin Ramaswami, told to PTI
At Georgetown, he founded the Dharmic Law Student Organisation (programs for Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and Jain students) and helped raise $100K to establish an endowment.
His website says he has over seven years of experience working to build tech startups.
Ramaswami has worked on cybersecurity for the federal government for three years.
Currently, he runs a consulting company specialising in software architecture, technology law, and policy.
'Gen Z is Aware of Politics But Doesn’t Have The Resources’
“We very much see the news, we see all these things happening, and we want to ensure a good future for ourselves. But I think one problem we face is we don’t have the resources or ability to actually go and make a difference in the sense that it’s really hard for people my age to get elected because the election process skews towards people who are wealthier and older. So that’s one big problem. I hope to show by being successful at this age that we can have that kind of a voice and we can work for everyone regardless of background,” he said.
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