Cris Nolan

Lake Forest College senior | 28 | Mundelein

Submitted a video question for Hillary Clinton in the CNN-YouTube Democratic debate. His question aired July 23:

"With Bush, Clinton, and Bush again serving as the last three presidents, how would electing you, a Clinton, constitute the type of change in Washington so many people in the heartland are yearning for . . .?

"I was also wondering if any of the other candidates had a problem with the same two families being in charge of the executive branch of government for 28 consecutive years, if Hillary Clinton were to potentially be elected and then re-elected."

It was surprising. I didn't even know I was going to be on the debate until I saw it on TV. I thought I had a good, interesting question. Although it was kind of dodged by [Clinton] and picked up by Obama.

My daughter just turned 6 . . . She is going to be politically active.... She screamed "Go Democrats" right after my question.

I was a C- student in high school, and now I'm an A student in college. It took me a couple years to realize the value of education. I worked as a supervisor at Toys R Us. It was a good job and it paid the bills ... but I wanted more out of life. 2004 is when I re-entered school. I'm majoring in political science and history.

I hope to get into law school next year and some day, I'll run for office. Most of my friends and family are waiting for me to run. They're encouraging.

If I were president.... I'd end the war on drugs and put all of the money into education. I'd stop companies like BP from putting pollution into places like Lake Michigan.... I would eliminate the income tax and and start a carbon tax.

I was published in the New York Times. It was an op-ed on Syria when Nancy Pelosi visited the leader last year. I got a couple of paragraphs. It was kind of cool.

It's a small town. Whenever one of us gets anything in the paper, we're all calling each other.