This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

I wanted to volunteer for President Barack Obama's campaign, so I went online and signed up to make phone calls to Colorado voters. Almost immediately, I was contacted Alex, another volunteer.

As it happened, on the night I was available, we would be making calls from Alex's house. What I didn't know until I arrived was that Alex would not be voting in this election. Alex is only 17!

Almost every person making calls that night was too young to vote. Teenagers were calling registered voters and asking them to please show up at the polls.

These young people were informed and confident. They could intelligently speak on a host of topics — health care, education and human rights. Most had been volunteering for months.

Alex and his friends are not unusual. They and thousands of young people set aside time to get involved in Obama's campaign because they are passionate about what this election meant.

These kids are passionate about the future. They are bright, informed and dedicated. They are organized and focused. They are the hope of our future.

Sandra Sweetland

Salt Lake City