For sixteen years, democrat and current congressman Mike Honda has served Santa Clara and San Jose, otherwise known as Congressional District 17. However, two years ago a new face emerged. Democrat Ro Khanna first entered the congressional race in 2014 and lost by a mere 3.6 percent. In 2015, he announced his comeback as a candidate for the 2016 election.
Ro Khanna has made it very clear that his main focus is education and ensuring that all students have equal opportunities. As a part of his campaign process, a few Wilcox students and many other high school students in our community have been brought on board as interns. These interns, three of them being from our Alma Mater, are being housed at the recently opened headquarters in Santa Clara. “After working for his campaign for a few months I really believe he can be a positive change for our community,” said junior Nick Kibilov, “Our district deserves a congressman who will stand up for women’s rights, education, economic growth, and the environment, and Ro is someone who is capable of doing that.”
Quite a few young adults from Santa Clara University have also joined as interns. “I really appreciate how Ro is dedicated to making sure everyone gets the educational opportunities they need to compete in this type of economy. Giving California students a preference for admission to state schools is a great way to start that,” said SCU student Ariana Hooks.
Another Khanna intern, Wilcox sophomore Estela Molter, commented on his educational ideals, “The fact that Ro’s goal overall is to make college debt free for students is very exciting for me because this means a little bit less stress on the shoulders of college and high school students to get grants and scholarships and financial aid.” She adds, “This will ultimately leave more money to spend on books and other necessities not even covered by our tuition and leave a little bit more room on the plates of these kids.”
One of his goals education wise is to simplify the admission of California students into UC schools, as well as lowering the cost of tuition and making the student loan process less of a headache. His plan is to make college more affordable by providing federal grants as well as making introductory courses and text books available online. In an interview with the man himself, he even admitted that he was still paying off his student loans at the age of 39, which is something he hopes to never see future generations go through.
Moreover, Khanna aims to upgrade to newer and better performing technology in California schools and ensure the graduation of more high school students without any doubt of being competent in science, math, and the use of mobile applications and computers.  He is developing a plan to move away from high-stakes standardized testing and supports a curriculum and healthy learning environment that nurtures critical thinking, collaborative learning, and creativity through art and music.
On his website, Rokhanna.com, he reflects on his educational past and how his passion for education has developed and grown into plans for the future, “As a Member of Congress, I will fight to return our focus to making college affordable and preparing students for the jobs of the 21st century. When new technology or outsourcing displace workers’ jobs, I’ll help ensure that they have access to retraining programs that enable them to quickly re-enter the workforce in industries where secure employment is available.”
Besides education, he aims to get the idea of big money out of congress and, since the start of his campaign in 2014, has never accepted or collected any PACs. He is also an avid advocator for Women’s Rights and has served as a Board Member and supported Planned Parenthood for five years.
Although Khanna was raised on the East Coast, he has become quite the local, as he taught at both Stanford and Santa Clara University. He was also involved in Obama’s campaign in 2008, and was appointed a part of the Obama administration. If anyone is interested or in need of service hours, please feel free to contact Kevin Fox at the Santa Clara office at [email protected] or come ask me, Nick Kibilov, or Estela Molter for more details about internships.