"Palmerston North's newest city councillor was inspired to enter politics by the man he replaces.
Orphee Mickalad was a student in Tangi Utikere's history class at Freyberg High School.
It was around the time when Barack Obama was elected the president of the United States.
Mickalad says Utikere's teaching style got him interested in politics and his teacher encouraged him to run.
"So he was like 'why don't you just do it?'""