FLIPPABLE: Cassimir Svigelj for OH-AD16
As a product of Northeast Ohio, I understand what it truly means to be a member of this resilient and proud community. I spent the first few years of my life on the shores of Lake Erie playing on the beaches of Ashtabula and it breaks my heart to see those clear blue waters I remember as a child be ruined by fracking and Big-Agra.
As a single parent, my mother moved me and my brother to Cleveland when I was seven years old so she could work full-time while going to Cleveland State. During these challenging times, she relied on the social safety net of government assistance programs to help keep us fed, clothed, and warm while she worked to achieve her goal of becoming a teacher.
After moving to North Olmsted, where I attended Maple Elementary, my mother finally had the chance to buy our family a home in Berea, Ohio which is where I graduated in 2009. While attending Berea High School, I was actively involved and interested in the world of politics. I was a member of the Junior Statesman of America as well as my class Vice President. Although I was still too young to vote in the 2008 presidential election, I felt compelled to be a part of the process and volunteered to work the polling station in my district.
After high school, I attended Cleveland State University where I graduated with a degree in Political Science while consistently working a full time job throughout. The reality for most college students is that we are piling up massive amounts of student debt and entering a workforce market without the skills that companies desire. If we are going to grow the Ohio economy, we can't have an entire generation straddled with crushing debt. We need to foster growth and development of our young people in the district.
My fiancée and I moved to Rocky River in 2015, and we fell in love with the city. That's why I want a better future for it. I want to spend the rest of my life here and continue to fight for clean air, clean water, great schools, great opportunities, and great people.
https://cassimirforohio.com