It was Boiler Gold Rush 2012 when Purdue students were first introduced to President Mitch Daniels, that is, President of Purdue University. Immediately, students accepted him as on of their "classmates,” as he referred to himself. They started their journey alongside him at their new university, even jumping over the train tracks that run through the center of campus, like all new and graduating students do when entering and exiting their time at Purdue. He’s been a celebrity amongst the student body, and loved by many whilst even featured in student-made music videos (as seen below).

Throughout the past three years, Daniels has created a number of projects to improve the quality of education at Purdue. This has included freezing students’ tuition and even designing courses of study that only require three years at the institution. His latest project would establish a charter school in Indianapolis that creates STEM-focused (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs to help improve SAT scores and better the chances for Indianapolis students to attend higher education institutions as rigorous as Purdue.

There is no doubt he has created a number of valuable improvements for the students of Purdue, and in return influenced changes in other Indiana colleges and universities, but we can’t forget the amazing changes he made for the state of Indiana during his time as governor. Daniels cut the state government workforce by 18 percent, cut and capped state property taxes, and balanced the state budget through budget austerity measures and increasing spending by less than the inflation rate. When he took office, he adopted a deficit of $800 million, and through his unpopular judgment and authority created a $370 million surplus.

Daniels has proved to be a master at re-establishing an economy, as well as reforming education. Right now, our nation is in a time where we need a man like Mitch to restore our former glory. With a debt larger than the economy and rapidly approaching the cap set at $16.394 trillion, a presidential candidate with Daniels's experience in reducing debt is not only a good idea, but imperative. There is no possible way for the U.S. economy to withstand another president who doesn't make the economy his number one priority.

At the same time, the emphasis Daniels puts on affordable higher education is also a must. We’re in an age where it’s nearly impossible to obtain a career with a livable wage without a degree, but when students have to pull out loans that force them to spend the next 10 years paying them off, it begs the question if it’s really worth the time or the financial gamble. 8.5 percent of 2014 college grads are unemployed while 16.8 percent are underemployed. Seven out of 10 college graduates from public and non-profit colleges have student loan debt, averaging around $28,400. This means that about 17.5 percent of college grads are struggling to pay back their loans; young adults who were told their entire life that if they went to college and studied hard they would get a good job are being set up for failure before they even graduate.

We need a president who’s willing to decline pay increases in order to make college more affordable; someone who is less concerned with profits and more concerned with his nation’s workforce. We need someone who understands that by investing in our youth, we’re investing in our economy, and that by draining students' bank accounts and chances at future success, we’re only making more problems for the future of our nation.

This all being said, I don’t want Mitch Daniels to run because I love him as the president of our university too much. I want to be selfish and keep him at Purdue because of all the positive changes he’s made so far for my college career. He’s only been here three years and I want to give him the chance to make my future Alma Mater an institution to be reckoned with. If Daniels ever does decide to run for the Oval Office, he has my vote. However, I feel like I stand by the majority of Purdue students when I say, please don’t leave us Mitch.