Bo is a hardworking American from a rural bluecollar background. He was introduced to the importance of dedication and hard work as a 13 year old apple picker at a Delano, Minnesota apple orchard. From that point on, he spent his free time putting in backbreaking work in agriculture as well as a shipping warehouse. Bo was always up before 5:00am and was ready to do what was necessary for that day of work. Working a blue collar job for most of his pre-adult years also taught Bo the importance of teamwork. Every member of a work team was an important piece of a puzzle that could not be completed if one person slacked off. Bo graduated with honors from Orono High School which was in a well funded public school district. It was due to the quality of public education that Bo received that he was able to go to Colorado College on an academic scholarship. Bo recognizes that there is a desperate need for higher quality and more equitable public education across this country and believes that the fight for the future of this great country begins and ends with how good our public schooling is in America. Bo went on to double major in econ and political science at CC and got his JD from Northwestern’s esteemed Pritzker Law School. He spent the next 12 years of his life working as a tax attorney for Ernst and Young in Chicago, IL. before returning to his own city to serve a full four year term as the mayor of Minneapolis. His experience working in rural America and one of the urban heartbeats of the U.S. gives him unique insight into the challenges facing the rural and urban sectors of American society.