LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Exactly a year after graduating from college before receiving his high school diploma, William Yeung is once again making news.
This time, the Lakewood High School graduate has announced that he’s running for mayor against incumbent Meghan George this fall.
“This is an opportunity to give Lakewood a historical moment, because so far the youngest person to be elected for mayor in Ohio was Mr. (Dennis) Kucinich at the age of 31,” Yeung said.
“I believe with how progressive and how open Lakewood is, this is a record we could totally take.”
Making the story even more interesting is the fact that he likely will be joined on the ballot by his mother, Ahmie, who has announced that she’s running for an open Lakewood City Schools Board of Education seat.
Last week, mother and son filed their petitions for the Nov. 7 ballot. However, Ahmie’s petitions fell short by 22, so she has to redo them.
“(I’m) refiling probably today, since yesterday (last day of school) was too chaotic by the time I found out after lunch,” Ahmie said Thursday (June 1).
William, 19, is his mother’s biggest supporter.
“It tickles me, because my mother is the one who put in the most effort helping nurture me to be the person I want to be in this world and to make sure that I’m the best candidate I can be,” he said.
This marks the family members’ first foray into seeking elected office.
After years of volunteering and advising, Ahmie -- who more than a decade ago served as district configuration sub-committee co-chair during the Phase 3 reconstruction of Lakewood’s elementary schools -- feels she is ready and qualified to run for the Board of Education.
“I want to bring greater access to College Credit Plus and other lesser-known learning opportunities to more families in Lakewood, as well as use my skills as a sociologist to boost evidence-based decision-making,” said Ahmie, who has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Case Western Reserve University and a master’s degree in sociology from Cleveland State University.
“I also want to boost the quality of our Lakewood-only virtual education program that my children use for their middle school years.”
The fact that she’s on the same ballot as her oldest son isn’t lost on Ahmie, who even after hearing about an opening on the school board didn’t initially commit to running.
“The opportunity to be on the ballot with my son was too special to miss,” she said.
Read more news from the Sun Post Herald.
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