Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - How Three High School Girls Got Hillary Clinton To Visit a Town With a Population of 996

#KeotaHopesForHillary became more than hashtag.

Welcome to Keota, a town of 996 people in eastern Iowa.

Three high school students from Keota—Abby, Megan, and Kylea—wanted Hillary to visit their school.

So they started a Twitter account, @KeotaSociology, to persuade Hillary to come speak with them about the issues facing their community—including the shrinking resources of many rural schools.

As an agricultural based community, one of the things we would love to hear about is @HillaryClinton 's rural policy #KeotaHopesForHillary ????— KeotaHopesForHillary (@KeotaSociology) October 8, 2015

They started small—but soon, they began to pick up steam.

Tweet, tweet, tweet! Just imagine how awesome having a National Presidential Candidate come to our community would be! #KeotaHopesForHillary— KeotaHopesForHillary (@KeotaSociology) September 25, 2015

We have just reached 500 followers!! That's half the population of our town! We couldn't be anymore thankful! #KeotaHopesforHillary— KeotaHopesForHillary (@KeotaSociology) October 16, 2015

Meet our @KeotaSociology high school students Abby, Megan, and Kylea, who met Hillary last Saturday! #HillYes pic.twitter.com/OVk3ljtDIR— Hillary for Iowa (@HillaryforIA) October 28, 2015

The girls drove 100 miles to see Hillary speak at the Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in October—and made their way to the front of the rope line to meet her.

Just shook @HillaryClinton 's hand and talked to her about #KeotaHopesForHillary By far the best moment of our lives pic.twitter.com/QkIazRe63Q— KeotaHopesForHillary (@KeotaSociology) October 25, 2015

And a few weeks later at town hall in Coralville, the girls raised their hand to ask a question—and Hillary called on them.

?My name's Megan, and we're from southeast Iowa, and part of #KeotaHopesForHillary,? Megan said.

?I'm coming!? Hillary responded. ?I'm coming to Keota. I am coming. Anybody who can organize such a really well-planned effort to get me to visit, I think you deserve it.?

Tonight @HillaryClinton told us she will be visiting our high school. We are honored. #KeotaHopesForHillary we did it!!!!— KeotaHopesForHillary (@KeotaSociology) November 3, 2015

And then she did.

On Tuesday, December 22, Hillary visited the Keota Community School. Seven hundred people (nearly the whole town!) packed into the school's gymnasium to see her speak.

Abby, Megan, and Kylea—as well as their sociology teacher, Mr. Snakenberg—introduced her to the crowd.

?Hillary Clinton is paying attention to the little guy today,? said Abby, a 17-year-old senior who will be a caucus precinct captain for Hillary. ?And that's amazing.?

?That was just an incredible introduction,? Hillary said, ?but I have to give you the story that's behind the scenes.

?I started seeing these young women showing up at my events, and they were holding signs inviting me to Keota. You really made an impression on me. And one time, after I finished an event, I was shaking hands and they were there and said, ?Would you come to our school?'

?I don't want to make a promise I can't keep, so I said, ?Well, I'll try.' And then the next time I saw them, they were at another event, holding their signs, raising their hands, and as I was calling on them, I said, ?I'm really coming. I will come to Keota.'

?So, to Abby and Megan and Kylea—and to your teacher, Schuyler, because it takes a teacher to inspire this kind of activism by students—thank you for having me.?

Keota hoped for Hillary—and #KeotaGotHillary.

@abbynicole1123 It was a wonderful conversation. Thanks for the invite!— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) December 23, 2015