In just a few short years, Eric Lesser went from organizing students at Harvard to having a desk 50 feet away from the Oval Office which was a political education he is now putting to good use in the Massachusetts State Legislature, where he serves as a state Senator representing nine municipalities in the Springfield area.

On episode 12 of Next Gen Dem, Eric and I discuss his first foray into politics in high school, his proudest White House achievement (which also may have been his most embarrassing moment), and how you need to create your own destiny if you want to run for office.

Prior to becoming a state Senator, Eric worked in the Obama White House as Special Assistant to Senior Adviser David Axelrod and as Director of Strategic Planning for the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. Eric got his start on President Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, where he traveled to 47 states and six countries with then-Senator Obama and his senior team.