Rex Ryan and Brett Carmichal Two Missouri teen-agers, starting their college careers this year, already have had a great start to their education. The two have served as delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Both were elected delegates as high school seniors. 18-year-old Rex Ryan graduated from Wellington High School and enrolled as a freshman at William Jewell College in Liberty today. Ryan says there’s a simple reason for his involvement with the Democratic Party so early. He says he wants to make politics his career and this is "an awesome time to start."

Ryan says the week in Denver at the Democratic National Convention was incredible and reaffirmed to him that the Democratic Party is where he belongs.

19-year-old Brett Carmical graduated from Brookfield High School and got special permission from Truman State University professors in Kirksville to skip his first week of school to attend the convention.

Carmical says it isn’t all that hard to get young people involved in politics.

"I lot of times, it just takes an introduction," he says.

Carmical was a strong Hillary Clinton delegate, disappointed that Barack Obama won the nomination. He says the convention helped heal wounds from the tough presidential primary battle.

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)