Dean Roy, a 14-year-old high school freshman, has become the youngest person to be on the general election ballot for Vermont after he decided to run for governor. From the small town of Stowe, Vermont, his passion for politics and helping his community quickly developed as he grew up and centered his career path. 

In an interview with Susie Coen, with The Times, Roy shares how he knew he wanted to be a politician, explaining his experiences of focusing on his passion and also the challenges that come with running for state as a teenager. 

“[I recall] staying up late to watch election results, but my passion solidified in sixth grade when my class visited the State Capitol in Montpelier, Vermont. Two years later, I worked as a page… at the State Capitol when I was 13, and I really got to see behind the scenes… I saw how I could make life better for Vermonters,” Roy said to Coen. 

According to The Times, Roy’s sentiment is that although he is young and has not had much experience in the field,

older candidates may be “stuck in old fashioned ways, and not always open to what’s happening today”. His experiences with the politics of the world in this current state drove him to have a need for change. 

Through determination, hard work and perseverance, he has shown to the public his desire to run for governor of Vermont. Roy also acknowledges that although his chances are not great given his age, he has already accomplished what most teenagers do not.  

“If I walk away from this knowing I made enough of an impact to maybe appear as a bit of a threat to the status quo, then I think that’s enough of a success for me,” Roy said.

Despite the several obstacles that Roy has faced through his journey with politics, he strongly believes that his age should not interfere with his capacity to run for governor and that no matter the outcome he acknowledges that he has already taken a big step to inspire other young people.