If you’ve been on social media lately, chances are you’ve seen people tagging New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in all sorts of issues. New York City residents have discovered that the mayor is pretty social media savvy, and viral campaigns for issues that need fixing seem to catch his eye, leading to some pretty noteworthy changes around the city. 

Even those outside the five boroughs have been getting in on the fun, tagging the mayor in all kinds of different issues they want to see tackled. And while he’s unlikely to respond to requests from states away, locals may still have a shot at getting help from Mamdani if they play their cards right.

Now, one teen is leveraging her social media knowledge to try and get help paying for the bus that she rides to and from school each day. Daeun Kim used her @daeunk_im Instagram account to contact Mamdani after her letters to him went unanswered, asking if there was any way that she could get OMNY cards to pay the transportation costs she incurs while traveling from Staten Island to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in Lincoln Square. 

Her video has since gone viral, prompting an outpouring of support for her request. Not only that, but other advocates have jumped in on the action, telling Kim how to get involved in making this change one that all school-aged commuters can enjoy.

Kim’s Commute Costs $14.50 per Day

In the short clip, Kim explained how the express bus was the only viable option for her to commute to her school. “People bring up the free ferry, but for a lot of us, the ferry isn’t close,” she explained in the clip. “It would mean a 30-minute drive or a 90-minute bus ride just to reach it, and then another subway after [the ferry] to go to the school.”

And while all students can take free public transit thanks to their OMNY cards, Kim says that the cost of the express bus isn’t covered, and it’s the only one that stops near her house. That leaves her family with no option other than to shell out the extra money for her and her brother to commute, which Kim told her followers has cost them $18,270 over the past four years for her brother and three years for her.

Her Parents Work Extra Hours to Cover the Expense

With no other options, Kim says her parents pick up extra shifts, which means that the family doesn’t get to see each other as often. “A lot of immigrant families in Staten Island commute to school in Manhattan every day for better schools and opportunities,” she explained. “I have one year of high school left, and I don’t want my mom to keep sacrificing her weekend just to afford my commute.”

This is what prompted Kim’s letter to City Hall, and later, the viral video about her story. 

Kim’s Story Is Gaining Attention

The New York Post later interviewed Kim via telephone, asking her about her viral video. “I jokingly said to my friends that I’m going to give Mamdani two months and if he doesn’t respond, I’m going to go to City Hall or do something about it,” she revealed.

But the video was about more than just the dollar amount that her parents were spending to ensure that she and her brother got the best education that they can; she said it was also a “thank you” for everything they’ve done. 

“My mom was a nurse in Korea, but she’s been working as a nail technician in Brooklyn because that was the only job she could get without speaking English,” Kim explained. “I’ve gone to the salon and watched her kneel in front of customers until 8 p.m., and this past semester we often didn’t get home together until 10 p.m.”

Kim later said the same could be said of her dad, who also gave up his career to support her and her brother. 

People Offered Their Support in the Comments

Kim’s cause seemed to resonate with a lot of New Yorkers, who cheered the teen on from the sidelines. 

Meanwhile, one person claiming to be the Vice President of Passengers United offered steps Kim could take to move her request along, including petitioning the MTA and her local state assembly member. 

Whether she makes headway with Mamdani or ends up taking some of the suggestions shared in the comments, hopefully, Kim finds a way to get in front of the right people so she can finally plead her case in person. 

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