KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — William Mendoza got his start in politics at around 15 years old. He said a lack of Hispanic involvement made him want to make a change.
He's worked on six campaigns, served as a precinct and district chair, and was the youngest Emcee in Knoxville's history for Mayor Indya Kincannon's second inauguration.
Mendoza said despite being young, anyone can make a difference. Youth voter turnout is low nationwide according to Tufts University. The state with the highest has about 36% youth voter turnout, and the state with the lowest is Tennessee at 12.7% youth voter turnout. Mendoza said he wants to change that.
"Your age should not matter to get involved in politics. I think politics is for everyone, no matter who you are or what you are," Mendoza said.
At 18 years old, he's more politically involved than the average American. From door-knocking to campaigns, he wants everyone to feel like they have a say in their local government, and in their nation.
"If you want to make change in your community, if you wanna make change in your state, you have to vote," he said. "A lot of bills that are being passed is because a lot of people aren't voting. Tennessee, I truly believe that Tennessee isn't a red state. It's a non-voting state."
He said he understands people have other obligations. That's why he believes politics needs to be more accessible.
"Meeting them where they're at and asking about their issues. And I think one way to get people involved is coming to their door and asking them, 'What are your biggest issues? How can we help?' And them having a personal connection with you will be like, 'Oh, someone actually cares about me or someone actually cares about what I think,'" Mendoza said.
Now, he's about to head to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. As the state's youngest delegate, he said he's proud to represent the Volunteer State.
"Such an amazing opportunity and I'm truly honored to represent Tennessee in this momentous occasion. I think we're going to make history and I'm glad that I'm part of that history," he said.
Mendoza said he hopes to inspire others his age to be more politically involved. He also said he can't wait to bring what he learns from the DNC back to Knox County.