Jo Jenson, Executive Director of S4 (Students for Saving Social Security)

In 2005, Jonathan Swanson and Patrick Wetherille founded Students for Saving Social Security (S4) on the premise that the voices of students needed to be brought into the Social Security debate. Their passion for Social Security reform stemmed from their educational background in the field of economics and the organization was founded upon the belief that, as interns in Washington, DC, they could energize young workers like themselves and mobilize them for a national grassroots effort to fight for our future. One of their first publications -- entitled "It's time for action!" -- invited college students to join the movement by stressing that "the battle over the right for younger workers to build personal ownership is raging' [and] you are not at the forefront. Your participation in this historic movement is crucial to the success of a more prosperous America."

Two years later S4 is stronger than ever. The organization has developed into the largest grassroots student network with over 7,000 members at 300 college campus chapters in all 50 states. S4's rapid success can be attributed to fact that our nonpartisan organization emphasizes education and everyone coming to the table to discuss the issue of Social Security reform rather than partisan bickering. S4 is successful because it strongly endorse personal retirement accounts, and with today's 20-year old workers projected by the Social Security Administration to pay over $60,000 more in taxes over the course of their life than they will collect in benefits, our core theme of PRA's resonates with our generation. The students of S4 are comprised of passionate young adults that are playing an active role in their future and fighting for more ownership and choice with their retirement in a creative and edgy way. Co-Founder Jonathan Swanson stated in his written testimony to the House of Representatives Committee of Finances that "Social Security is the defining issue for our generation - the more financially literate students become the more likely they are to support Social Security reform through personal ownership. Most students already know there is a problem. As a Third Millennium poll showed, our generation is more likely to believe that UFOs exist than to believe that we will receive our Social Security benefits."

I joined S4 the summer before my junior year in college because I believe in S4's message and I think that this organization is giving students a national microphone to let their voices be heard on this issue. Our Social Security system deserves a straightforward debate and candid discussion among our elected leaders. Unfortunately, some have polluted the dialogue with demagoguery, scaring our nation's seniors and claiming that the American people are too unintelligent to manage their future. Thankfully S4 is here, along with likeminded organizations like For Our Grandchildren, to dispel these myths and support solutions like personal retirement accounts, which will change the way our country saves; transform the way we view retirement; and provide the opportunity for all income classes to accumulate wealth within the Social Security system, instead of forcing us to somehow find additional money and save outside the system. Personal retirement counts will put Social Security on the sound economic footing that the program deserves instead of band-aid fixes such as raising taxes, which are not sustainable long-term solutions for the system's financial solvency.

Through this experience I have learned that we cannot keep leaving America's citizens out of the debate. Whether it is creating a space for the voice of younger workers to be heard, pushing for control over our retirement money or educating students on the issue of Social Security reform, I am proud to be a member of Students for Saving Social Security. Through the efforts of S4 and other groups, we are redefining the Social Security debate in this country in order to include the voices of those of us with the most at stake.