Today we’d like to introduce you to Aiden Muhammad
Hi Aiden, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Growing up in an ethnically and ideologically diverse community, I was always exposed to a wide variety of perspectives on political issues and loved debating with my friends. But as I grew older, especially as I went into high school, I noticed something changing around me. There was this hushed, almost tense atmosphere around politics. It felt like I wasn’t allowed to talk about issues that were important to me with my friends.
That didn’t sit right with me. I heard about a brand-new club at Plano West Senior High that wanted to address this issue— Politics for Teens. I immediately got involved, starting my own school chapter and stepping in to expand what soon became a global 501 c (4) nonprofit.
I started out by shadowing the founder, Rizwan Khan, as he worked to build the organization. Over time, I became deeply invested in the mission and took on increasingly significant roles, including spearheading some of the initiatives that we are most known for today.
Today, I’m honored to serve as the Executive Director of Politics for Teens at large. My journey from starting a chapter at my school to being Executive Director of the nonprofit has given me a unique perspective on the organization and a deep commitment to understanding its evolving needs and working with a team to meet them.
I’m committed to harnessing our recent momentum, with the accrual of close to 200 high school chapters around the world and ensuring that Politics for Teens continues to grow as a vital resource for young people seeking to engage in civics.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As with any organization, we’ve certainly had our ups and downs. Initially, there was a stigma around the discussion of politics— owed to the lack of civility in discourse today. When garnering support, we encounter people worried to be ‘near politics’. As expected, people were scared of politics. They were taught it was something to be discussed in the halls of capital buildings, not in the halls of school.
What it took to overcome this stigma was focusing on the grassroots aspect to encourage teens to attend local events and speak their minds. This sort of hyperlocalized approach was a magnet to teenagers; when youth witness others like them in their direct communities expressing their views, it allows them to also learn about and discuss political issues in a civil and bipartisan manner. Discussions at our public events and high school meetings became so in-depth and thoughtful that teenagers were drawn to—and, I hope, refreshed by—these outlets letting them learn and speak about the causes that mattered to them. Now we host all sorts of initiatives and events, like PFTeaches, where we combine education and discussion of political issues, Leadership Summits with politicians like house representatives, mayors, and councilmen, and fellowship opportunities for students to directly get involved.
So, yeah, it definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road, but through hard work from my team and support from our incredible network of students around the world, we’ve been able to take massive strides in appealing to future changemakers everywhere. I’ve been blessed to have the help of Krish Shah, our deputy director, and Keon Attarha, our director of logistics, both of whom have allowed the growth and fruition of our initiatives. This also includes our incredible online presence, owed to Daniel Tauhert and Reyah Makkar, who run our website and socials respectively.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an 11th grade IB student with a passion for business and politics. These passions led me to where I am today with Politics For Teens. At PFT, we believe democracy is discourse— in our mission to bridge the partisan divide, we make politics casual and civil, focusing on policy over party. At our high school chapters, each meeting focuses on educating the members on a different domestic or foreign issue, and then opening discussion. At our speakership events, we put the ‘represent’ in ‘representatives’ by allowing students to directly engage with their city and state leaders.
I’m proud of the impact that we’ve been able to create across the world because, as teenagers, we often need reminders of the power we have as future leaders. And that’s exactly what we’re working towards— to equip our youth with the tools needed to lead their nations forward.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
My favorite pastime is lifting at my local rec center, and I love just about anything containing peanut butter, but I’d definitely say talking to people is what most makes me happy. Whether it’s through playful banter with friends or more structured interactions with new faces, I always hold friendships in high regard. I think it’s beautiful that people from all walks of life can converge and forge connections using their differences. It says a lot about human nature, and how we are instinctively unified by our differences.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://politicsforteens.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/politics_forteens?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- Twitter: https://x.com/PoliticsFo38831
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/aiden.m2008/
Image Credits
Alisha Panda, Sophia Khan
