"You have to put the work in. So many candidates run for office because they think of the glamour and the glitz and it’s not that. It’s really hard, but it’s really rewarding too," Grayson says.

FROM STUDENT TO DIRECTOR

Grayson says he first learned about the IOP Director position when he was running for Kentucky’s Senate seat, but he did not think that he would apply. But after losing the primary in the race for Senate, Grayson reconsidered his decision.

Grayson’s appointment was announced in January and he started when students returned to campus for spring semester.

Going into his first days at the IOP, Grayson was far from a stranger, which helped him immediately jump into his daily activities.

"I felt more comfortable on day one at the IOP than I did on day one as Secretary of State," Grayson says.

IOP President Jeffrey F. Solnet ’12, who has worked closely with Grayson since he assumed the post, says that Grayson’s past experience as a student involved at the IOP allowed him to "hit the ground running."YOUNG FOR THE ROLE

Not content with having been the youngest Secretary of State in the country, at age 38, Grayson is one of the youngest Directors in the IOP’s history. However, students overwhelmingly say that they are not concerned about Grayson not being experienced enough to hold the position.

"His experience as undergrad is pretty recent so he’ll be able to connect to students," says Michael W. McLean ’12, president of the Harvard Republican Club. "Youth is only a positive."

Solnet says that Grayson’s breadth of political experience at such a young age provides an inspiring example for students involved at the IOP.

"The IOP is about encouraging young people to go into public service and politics," Solnet says. "Because [Grayson] is a younger person who has done so much, there is no better person to represent the organization than that."

—Staff writer Monica M. Dodge can be reached at mdodge@college.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Ariane Litalien can be reached at alitalien@college.harvard.edu.