AU alum and Democratic politician Jason Kander visited campus Tuesday as part of a Kennedy Political Union and AU College Democrats event.
Kander, who is best known for his unsuccessful Missouri Senate run against incumbent Roy Blunt, began the event by talking about how the University prepared him for the world of politics and provided opportunities for him to be successful.
“I got a lot out of my experience here,” Kander said. “When people who are considering schools ask me about American, I tell them that one of the best things about the University is the way the schedule is set up so you can actually go out and get some real experience.
For Kander, his professors were also an integral part of his college experience.
“I got a lot out of the fact that there were so many adjunct professors who were practitioners of whatever they were teaching,” he said. “I took a constitutional law class taught by a federal judge who worked as a judge during the day and taught at night.”
When asked about the hardships of being a politician and a public figure, Kander described his time in the military and the importance of staying focused on what is important.
“If you are in this for the right reasons and if you really care about what is happening to people, then the things that some people say about you is not a big deal,” Kander said.
Kander also advised students on how they can get involved in the political arena as students.
“Donald Trump is the president and our country is going through some serious stuff as a result of our last election,” Kander said.“The best thing you can do is to focus on what you can do to make a difference.”
Kander spoke in depth about his political organization, Let America Vote, which was founded early last year. He said the mission of the group was to “create political consequence for politicians who make it hard for voters to exercise their constitutional right.”
“This past election has made me want to get up everyday and push back against things that I see as wrong and un-American, like voter suppression,” Kander said.
Before leaving, Kander encouraged students to stay passionate and politically active.
“Do what makes you happy and fight for what you think is right,” Kander said.
