First Ever Disabled Student Elected to CDA National Office

From: PR Web (press release), WA - Aug 17, 2004

While John Kerry was making history at the Democratic National Convention, history was also made at the College Democrats Convention, where for the first time in the organization's history a student with a disability was elected as a CDA national officer

BOSTON, MA (PRWEB) August 17, 2004 -- While John Kerry was making history at the Democratic National Convention, history was also made at the College Democrats Convention, where for the first time in the organization's history a student with a disability was elected as a CDA national officer. As thousands of college students serving as delegates to the College Democrats of America (CDA) Convention packed into the auditorium at the John B. Hynes Convention Center to vote for national officers there was little question as to the outcome of the elections. Six out of the seven races were uncontested, but in the third, that for Director of Political Affairs, there were three candidates. While outgoing CDA President Ashley Bell went through the formality of electing by acclamation the officers for the six uncontested seats, delegates scrambled around tallying and re-tallying the votes for the hotly contested Director of Political Affairs race. In the end, the winner, with 60.8% of the votes, was Pepe Cervantes, who is deaf. With that that victory he became the first person with a disability to serve on CDA's National Council since the organization was first founded in 1932.

Cervantes, a 21 year-old senior at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., the country's only university for the deaf, said, "I feel humbled and honored to be the first person with a disability to serve on CDA's national board. It feels like somehow we have finally gotten our foot in the door and now we can kick it open and let others get involved and show that we have a voice." Cervantes, who has been deaf since birth, says that his disability played major part in inspiring him to become politically active. "Growing up deaf inspired me to become a staunch supporter of the disability and minority communities."

Fellow CDA members have praised Cervantes as a person who is deeply committed to political activism and who puts his all into everything he does. "In my five years involved in politics nationally, rarely have I met someone has driven and committed as Pepe. His energy is endless and he is a great asset to College Democrats of America", said Grant Woodard, President of CDA.

"Pepe is an articulate and capable young man", said Michael Harris, Vice-Chair of CDA's Disability Caucus. "Our caucus believes that having a student with a disability on CDA's National Council will serve to demonstrate that people with disabilities can and do actively participate in all aspects of society. We are confident that Pepe will not only represent the interests of the disability community, but at the same time change the way in which society views people with disabilities. Pepe truly understands that politics can be used as a means of social change, an important quality in any political activist."

Cervantes is already hard at work and says that he hopes to encourage more students with disabilities to be involved with the Democratic Party. As political affairs director, he will be focusing on releasing more position papers and promoting the CDA platform. He will also be focused on yearlong goals of strengthening caucuses and implementing CDA Students Corps and a CDA Lecture Series by the summer of 2005. Woodard vowed to help to turn these goals into reality, saying, "Pepe has shown great initiative in helping to inform college students across the country of the issues that are directly affecting them."

Harris also points out the fact that Cervantes was elected on the eve of the fourteenth Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. "We can have all the ceremonies and speeches we want, but actions speak louder than words. Pepe's election demonstrates that when people with disabilities are given a chance they can excel in life", he said.

Cervantes, who will turn twenty-two on November 1st says that he hopes to receive a belated birthday present the following day; the election of John Kerry as the 44th President of the United States.

The College Democrats of America (CDA) is the official student outreach arm of the Democratic Party. It aims to elect Democrats, train and engage new generations of progressive activists, and shape the Democratic Party with voices from America's youth. CDA national officers serve one year terms. Additional information regarding CDA is available online at www.collegedems.com

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Contact:
Michael A. Harris, Vice- Chair
Disability Caucus, College Democrats of America
Telephone:(914) 490-0518
Website: www.collegedems.com

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