Svante Myrick, a previously homeless 24-year-old, is the youngest mayor ever elected in the city of Ithaca, N.Y., according to NBC News.
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The son of a white mother and black father, Myrick was raised by his mother with help from his grandparents in upstate New York. His family was homeless at numerous times throughout his youth. Myrick and his three siblings would pool money from after-school jobs to buy clothes, feed themselves and help keep their house lights, according to Syracuse.com.
His story has endeared him to many residents in the small community and earned him comparisons to President Obama, which he tends to shy away from, although he says he was inspired by him. "Well, if this, you know, guy with that name and those ears can do it, then a guy with this name and these ears can do it," Myrick said.
A graduate of Cornell University who previously served on the Ithaca City Council, Myrick took over City Hall on Jan. 1 after he won the election on Nov. 8 with 54 percent of the vote, winning 18 out of 18 districts in a landslide, according to Syracuse.com.
We wish this young, bright mayor all the best. He faces a daunting reality: Forty-four percent of the residents in his city live under the federal poverty rate, and the city is dealing with a severe housing shortage.
Read more at NBC News and Syracuse.com.
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