A young person's energy and creativity can be unleashed on the world of politics by a high school government or current events class. In the case of Ray Zaccaro, all it took was a teacher's question. It was 1995, the spring of his senior year at North Babylon High School on New York's Long Island. Zaccaro was 17, riding high with plans to attend George Washington University in the fall, when he found himself at the head of a movement that would energize and empower his graduating class, his teachers and his neighbors. Word spread that the school district was ready to implement an austerity budget the following year, which meant many electives and extra-curricular activities would be cut and fees would be instituted for sports programs. This article illustrates how, with a little encouragement, students everywhere can make the leap from passive interest to active engagement.