Jiaying Zhou with Vice President Joe Biden at a rally in Lakewood

Born and raised in Shanghai, I grew up listening to people talk about the vigor and vitality of New York, the glamor and diversity of California, and the history and beauty of Washington D.C. What about Ohio? Not knowing what to expect, I embarked on my journey to Ohio with anticipation and determination to make the best of my stay here.

Not surprisingly, it was not long before I found myself in a state which was the epicenter of the 2012 election. Being known as both a “swing state” and a bellwether of national politics, Ohio always makes its way to the national stage. I saw that both President Obama and Governor Romney were barnstorming the Buckeye State to compete for every single vote.

I could not pass up the opportunity to see the candidates face to face. It all started in the wee hours of one October morning when I boarded a 4:30a.m. greyhound bus bound for Columbus in order to attend President Obama’s rally at Ohio State University. Fortunately, my efforts to get there early paid off. No one had camped out the night before, so I was the first in line at the entrance. Waiting in the windy Oval was not fun, but the thought of seeing the President up close was the only incentive I needed to brave the cold. As the lines started to build, I chatted the hours away with other enthusiastic supporters.

Then came my lucky break. A man from the campaign approached our line as we were shivering in the cold and said to us, “We’re going to take 13 people from the line to help us move the tent. As a reward, we’ll give each of you a VIP ticket”. I could not believe my luck! After the doors opened at 2p.m. that afternoon, I was standing in the very first row, right in front of the stage where the President was going to be, with thousands of supporters behind me. After what seemed like an eternity, the moment we had all been waiting for finally came. Everyone went wild when President Obama took the stage. "All right, Buckeyes, we need you," said the President, who led the crowd in an O-H-I-O chant. "I love you, Obama!" one particularly exuberant fan shouted. In response, he said, "I love you right back, but I need you voting."

His rousing speech ended, and before I knew what was happening, the President jogged down the stage to shake hands with us! There was pushing and squeezing, everyone trying to get an inch closer to that pair of hands that has led the nation for the past four years I shook his hand that day, and it just made my year!

I also attended rallies featuring former President Clinton, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Vice President Biden. I learned a lot after a month of crisscrossing Ohio – not just about how the election process worked, but more importantly, I learned so much about Ohio and the amazing people that live here. I won’t forget the OSU cheerleader who led a chorus of “fired up and ready to go” even though her voice was getting hoarse, or the guy working at the Greyhound who lifted my spirits by giving me a thumbs up and saying “With that attitude, you’ll see the President.” And, what impressed me most was the commitment of the volunteers; working from dusk to dawn, from doorstep to doorstep, they are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They lift each other up each and every day and remind the rest of us that we’re all in this together. They are part of the history, too.

Having the opportunity to witness the 2012 election in Ohio was truly inspiring. It is no exaggeration to say that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience I’ll never, ever forget!

Jiaying Zhou with Vice President Joe Biden at a rally in Lakewood

Born and raised in Shanghai, I grew up listening to people talk about the vigor and vitality of New York, the glamor and diversity of California, and the history and beauty of Washington D.C. What about Ohio? Not knowing what to expect, I embarked on my journey to Ohio with anticipation and determination to make the best of my stay here.

Not surprisingly, it was not long before I found myself in a state which was the epicenter of the 2012 election. Being known as both a “swing state” and a bellwether of national politics, Ohio always makes its way to the national stage. I saw that both President Obama and Governor Romney were barnstorming the Buckeye State to compete for every single vote.

I could not pass up the opportunity to see the candidates face to face. It all started in the wee hours of one October morning when I boarded a 4:30a.m. greyhound bus bound for Columbus in order to attend President Obama’s rally at Ohio State University. Fortunately, my efforts to get there early paid off. No one had camped out the night before, so I was the first in line at the entrance. Waiting in the windy Oval was not fun, but the thought of seeing the President up close was the only incentive I needed to brave the cold. As the lines started to build, I chatted the hours away with other enthusiastic supporters.

Then came my lucky break. A man from the campaign approached our line as we were shivering in the cold and said to us, “We’re going to take 13 people from the line to help us move the tent. As a reward, we’ll give each of you a VIP ticket”. I could not believe my luck! After the doors opened at 2p.m. that afternoon, I was standing in the very first row, right in front of the stage where the President was going to be, with thousands of supporters behind me. After what seemed like an eternity, the moment we had all been waiting for finally came. Everyone went wild when President Obama took the stage. "All right, Buckeyes, we need you," said the President, who led the crowd in an O-H-I-O chant. "I love you, Obama!" one particularly exuberant fan shouted. In response, he said, "I love you right back, but I need you voting."

His rousing speech ended, and before I knew what was happening, the President jogged down the stage to shake hands with us! There was pushing and squeezing, everyone trying to get an inch closer to that pair of hands that has led the nation for the past four years I shook his hand that day, and it just made my year!

I also attended rallies featuring former President Clinton, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Vice President Biden. I learned a lot after a month of crisscrossing Ohio – not just about how the election process worked, but more importantly, I learned so much about Ohio and the amazing people that live here. I won’t forget the OSU cheerleader who led a chorus of “fired up and ready to go” even though her voice was getting hoarse, or the guy working at the Greyhound who lifted my spirits by giving me a thumbs up and saying “With that attitude, you’ll see the President.” And, what impressed me most was the commitment of the volunteers; working from dusk to dawn, from doorstep to doorstep, they are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They lift each other up each and every day and remind the rest of us that we’re all in this together. They are part of the history, too.

Having the opportunity to witness the 2012 election in Ohio was truly inspiring. It is no exaggeration to say that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience I’ll never, ever forget!